PEORIA, Ill. – With the presidential election roughly 100 days away, President Biden announced on Sunday that he was dropping out of the presidential race, endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris, as the new Democratic nominee.
Now with enough Democratic delegates pledging to endorse Harris, she has become the party’s presumed nominee heading into the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month.
One of those delegates is Democratic State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth of Peoria, who represents the Illinois’ 92nd District, but who also serves as Illinois Speaker Pro Tempore and Chief Budget Negotiator.
Gordon-Booth tells WMBD’s “Greg and Dan Show”, it’s been a tough couple of weeks for her party since Biden’s poor showing in his recent debate with Former President Donald Trump.
Gordon-Booth says in a matter of a few days, she’s gone from being a Biden delegate to a Harris delegate.
“The reason why this works is because of the fact that…it’s a much smoother transition than if this was someone who was not a named entity as a part of the delegate process. So, let’s go back for a moment…three days ago, I was a Biden-Harris delegate…Joseph R. Biden/Kamala D. Harris,” Gordon-Booth says.
Gordon-Booth adds, “Now that President Biden has stepped aside, it is still technically the Harris ticket, President Biden has just removed himself from the presidential ticket. But, she was always a part of that.”
Gordon-Booth says technically there could have been a scenario where delegates went into the DNC next month in an open convention, meaning there could have been a fight over who would be the presidential nominee for the party. But, because Kamala Harris was already on the ticket, things will go smoothly.
Gordon-Booth says it’s very bittersweet what has happened.
“Because regardless of your politics, and if you don’t put any D or R in front of some of the things President Biden has done, they are very positive for the American people,” Gordon-Booth says.
Illinois’ ballots will not be finalized for the presidential election until August 29, and early voting starts on September 26.
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