Arizona Democratic delegates unanimously back Kamala Harris as nominee
Arizona’s 85 delegates to the Democratic National Convention unanimously support Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee, the group said Tuesday.
Harris already had enough delegates to secure the party’s nomination, but the unified support is still notable in battleground Arizona. The state’s six alternate delegates are also backing Harris.
“Vice President Harris has championed key issues Arizonans care about — protecting democracy and our fundamental freedoms — and is the only candidate in this race that will continue to push America forward towards a brighter future,” Arizona Democratic Party Chair Yolanda Bejarano said in a statement.
“We, the Arizona Democratic Party 2024 Delegation, firmly stand behind Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid to become the next President of the United States of America.”
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Democrats moved quickly to support Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and threw his support behind her. The president had been struggling in Arizona, a state he won by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2020, and Democrats here had worried that former President Donald Trump would carry the state in 2024 if Biden stayed on the ticket.
Trump slammed Harris in a call with reporters on Tuesday, saying that he would “absolutely” debate her this fall and calling her a “radical left person” in an attack on her immigration record.
Harris is the only major candidate seeking the Democratic nomination, and many of her most formidable challengers opted to endorse her shortly after Biden bowed out of the race. The Arizona Democratic Party Executive Board and the party’s county chairs unanimously endorsed her on Monday as delegates worked behind the scenes to tally up their support for her.
The vice president has made six visits to Arizona during her time in the Biden administration. Her most recent visit was an abortion rights campaign swing in June, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff was in Phoenix last week to campaign and catch the beginning of the WNBA All-Star Weekend.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kamala Harris: Arizona delegates unanimously back VP as nominee
