The Democratic Party seems all but ready to make Vice President Kamala Harris the first woman of color to top a major party presidential ticket. But is America ready to vote for her?
Harris shattered a glass ceiling in 2020 when she joined President Joe Biden and won the election. Democrats have seen women run for the presidency in the past, including Shirley Chisholm becoming the first woman of color to earn delegates at a major national convention in 1972.
After Biden announced he will not seek a second term, despite winning nearly all the delegates for next month’s nominating convention, he endorsed Harris and scores of Democratic officials shifted their support to the vice president.
Mayor Cherelle Parker thanked Biden for his decades of service, highlighting “his caring about Philadelphia in particular and cities in general,” Sunday night on social media. On her campaign account Monday, Parker referenced Harris doing one of her first campaigns in the then-councilmember’s backyard in Mt. Airy in 2020 as part of her endorsement statement.
“Since then, I have gotten to know her and work with her up close,” Parker said. “She understands that cities like Philadelphia are the backbone of this country. For our city, that means over $638 million in federal investments just this year. Before that, she was a prosecutor who took on corruption at every level and never backed away from a fight. She is prepared to meet this moment and more than ready to lead on day one.”
City Council President Kenyatta Johnson told The Tribune on Monday that this is a major opportunity for women to shape the campaign and believes Democrats can drive local turnout if Gov. Josh Shapiro is nominated as the vice president.
“Kamala Harris is more than qualified to lead this country, and the Democratic party has made a great choice,” he said. “I believe she’ll be the president of these United States if we all come together to defeat Donald Trump.”
Pennsylvania Democratic Party chair Sharif Street held a meeting with the state’s delegates Monday afternoon, where they unanimously endorsed Harris.
The vote means the state senator could keep his word that he gave The Tribune last week and endorse a candidate younger than the current president. Harris would be the fifth Democrat at least a decade younger than the Republican presidential nominee since 1992. All four of the previous elections were won by Democrats.
“As Pennsylvania Democrats, we have a unique responsibility to defend our freedoms and our democracy — one that has been handed down to us from our ancestors 248 years ago in the halls of power in Philadelphia,” said Shapiro in a release by the party following the vote. “I’ve known Vice President Harris for twenty years, have watched her exemplary work as a prosecutor, a Senator, and now VP, and I know she is ready to serve as our president.”
Charlene Collins, president of the Omega Omega Chapter of the sorority in Philadelphia, gave her personal insight, as the sorority is a nonpartisan entity.
“We are proud of where [Harris] is currently and proud she’s been endorsed,” Collins told The Tribune. “I think we should be ready [for a female president]. How many more male presidents do we need? If we are the country we say we are, we should have had representation from all across the board. We need to do better.”
Pennsylvania Speaker of the House JoAnna McClinton endorsed Harris for the nomination Sunday on social media. In a statement to The Tribune, she pointed to the VP’s record on criminal justice reform and reproductive rights as qualifications for the highest office in the land.
“Women of color have been leading in our communities for generations,” she said. “More than anything Americans want a qualified leader who can unify our country and meet the demands of our time. Voters are ready to elect a woman. Americans know her record and will undoubtedly recognize she has the qualifications and character to serve as our president.”
Dedrick Asante-Muhammad is president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Black think tank. He discussed that Harris’ experience gives her unique advantages to previous female candidates.
“She won the majority of votes as vice president, which means there’s more space for a woman of color to be president,” Asante-Muhammad said. “There’s nothing in the general public’s mind that’s more second to the president than being second to the president.”
The multitude of endorsements will likely help Harris secure enough delegates before the Democratic National Convention opens in Chicago on Aug. 19. Polling showed she fared better in direct showdowns with Trump than Biden, but still trailed the Republican challenger by a couple points.
“America is as ready as can be expected for something that’s never happened,” Asante-Muhammad said.