Nevada Democrats backed Biden; they’re now backing Harris

Following President Joe Biden’s dropout from the presidential race Sunday, Nevada’s Democrats are falling in line behind his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.

Democrats must go through a process to determine their new candidate ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which will take place Aug. 19 through Aug. 22.

While receiving the president’s endorsement helped Harris in her path toward the presidential nomination, nothing is set in stone.

Despite Nevada Democrats voting for Biden during the February presidential primary — in which he received 89 percent of the votes — the state’s delegates are not bound to him. While Biden endorsed Harris, his pledged delegates don’t automatically go to her, according to Nicole Kelly, a political and election law attorney who practices in Nevada and Washington D.C.

Nevada’s delegates can vote their conscience under DNC rules and vote for someone else, said Kelly, who also served as the political director in Nevada for the Republican National Lawyer Association during the 2022 election cycle.

There are discussions that other Democrats could be considering throwing their hat in the ring. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, for instance, is reportedly considering re-registering as a Democrat to run.

For now, Democratic delegates in Nevada — which is expected to play a critical role in the presidential election as a swing state — have voiced their support for Harris, who has visited the state over a dozen times since taking office.

Delegate reactions

After a politically disastrous debate performance from Biden prompted calls for him to step aside, Nevada’s Democratic congress members stood by him. Once he made his announcement Sunday, the state’s Congressional delegation praised the decision and endorsed Harris for president.

“She is a proven fighter for women’s reproductive freedoms and protecting democracy,” said Rep. Dina Titus, who has long supported Biden and has helped with his campaign, on X. “I look forward to helping her stop Donald Trump and Project 2025 this November.”

In a press call Sunday night, Rep. Steven Horsford committed to supporting Harris, who he spoke with on Sunday. He said he is confident Harris will achieve the requirements necessary to be selected as the nominee.

Horsford said he has heard from many delegates, constituents and voters who have expressed that they’re “energized, excited, engaged and want to know what they can do to make sure that we’re successful this November with now, Vice President Kamala Harris working toward our nomination.”

He said anyone else who wants to put their name forward has “every right” to do so.

Attorney General Aaron Ford endorsed Harris in a statement Sunday afternoon, but declined to answer whether he would commit his vote for her as a delegate.

“Kamala Harris has my full, enthusiastic endorsement, and I’m all in on doing everything I can to ensure that fellow Nevadans vote for a Democrat in the White House this November,” he said in an emailed statement.

Donna West, a longtime Democratic campaign volunteer and one of Nevada’s delegates, said she’s “very supportive” of Harris.

“She has the qualifications. Now she has the experience in the White House and on the world stage thanks to the opportunity she’s been given,” West said. “I’m ready to get to work to elect President Harris and eager to see who she decides to put on the ticket to run as our new vice president.”

West said she wasn’t sure what would happen next but said she knows Harris is the best person to beat Trump.

Delegate Daniel Corona posted on X that he is excited to help make history when Democrats make Harris the nominee and when they elect her to serve as the next president in November.

The Nevada State Democratic Party did not return multiple requests for comment about where its delegates stand and if they are committed to switching their votes to Harris.

The Review-Journal reached out to more than a dozen Democratic delegates to see if they were committed to voting for Harris or would prefer having an open convention. Most did not return requests for comment. Some Democrats, including Reps. Titus and Horsford, did endorse Harris as the presidential nominee and said they would vote for her as superdelegates if the opportunity arose.

Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the state party’s chair, said in a statement earlier Sunday that Harris was a good choice for vice president and that her commitments as vice president “has helped grow Nevada’s economy, create good-paying union jobs, and protect our fundamental rights.” The chairwoman did not explicitly endorse Harris as of the Review-Journal’s print deadline.

What’s next?

The Democratic Party has until Sept. 3 to inform the Nevada Secretary of State’s office of its presidential and vice presidential nominees, according to Kelly, who previously explained the legal process to replace Biden from Nevada’s ballot.

One concern — which Biden himself brought up when he was fighting to stay in the race — is that he was elected by the people in a democratic process, so replacing him would be done without the will of the voters.

“We’ve never seen this happen in modern times,” Kelly said. Typically, this happens during the primary process.

Horsford said the process is not undemocratic.

“We will have a process, and that process will ultimately, in my view, nominate Kamala Harris as our nominee,” Horsford said.

Names have been tossed around on social media regarding who should be Harris’ running mate, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Under the 12th Amendment, the vice presidential candidate cannot be from the same state, Kelly said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a popular Democrat among his party, would not be an option, unless he resigned and moved states, Kelly said.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.