Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried wants Vice President Kamala Harris as the party's presidential nominee this year. And so far, some 236 of Florida's 254 delegates to the Democratic National Convention have committed to that choice.
"Vice President Harris has visited Florida more than 10 times since taking office," Fried said on a press call. "She cares about Floridians and has served as a leading voice in the fight to take back our reproductive rights and hold Republicans accountable for whitewashing our history and attacking our communities."
Fried and other leaders discussed the state of the race a day after President Joe Biden announced he will not seek re-election. Florida delegates met on Sunday evening about the race, as did Democratic members of Florida's congressional delegation, and Harris emerged as the wide consensus choice.
"While the state of this race has changed, our mission has not: beat Donald Trump," Fried said. "Vice President Kamala Harris is the woman for the job."
Party officials said all eight Democrats serving Florida in Congress support Harris, along with the vast majority of Florida delegations. Harris needs the support of 1,986 delegates to win the nomination on the first ballot. No other candidates have publicly announced they will run.
Democrats in recent weeks have suggested replacements such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, but both have since endorsed Harris. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia on Monday also knocked down reports he would run, but he did favor an open nomination process.
But Democratic leaders in Florida who have spoken up uniformly support Harris.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Co-Chair of Florida's congressional delegation, teared up on the call while discussing her admiration of Biden, but said this was Harris' moment to lead the party.
"Vice President Harris made history once as the first woman of color and first woman Vice President. Now she'll do it again as President," Wasserman Schultz said. "She's 1-0 against Trump, I have no doubt she can beat this con man again."
Some of the Democratic Executive Chairs in Florida's largest blue counties echoed the sentiment.
"Her leadership is exactly what our country needs to continue the progress made and confront the pressing challenges of our time as young people," said Samuel Vilchez Santiago, Chair of the Orange County Democratic Executive Committee.
State Sen. Shevrin Jones, Chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee, said Harris would energize many key constituencies, and her nomination would directly counter portions of Republicans' agenda.
"The Vice President wasn't, and she still is not, some DEI selection by President Biden, which some Republicans have repeatedly said," Jones said. "The Vice President has been a partner to the President in the success that we are seeing across the country."
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