Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler said that enthusiasm and energy is growing across the state for uniting around Vice President Kamala Harris. (Screenshot via Zoom)
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin voted to officially back Vice President Kamala Harris in her campaign to win the Democratic presidential nomination after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday — just a day before she is expected to visit Milwaukee.
It’s the latest endorsement to come from Wisconsin. High profile Democrats who will also serve as Democratic National Convention delegates in Chicago next month, including Gov. Tony Evers, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan, have spent the last day declaring their support for Harris. Wisconsin Democratic mayors, including Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, also endorsed Harris on Monday.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler said he knows that Biden’s decision to step out of the race “reflected his care that we defeat Donald Trump and that we keep expanding freedom and fighting for the soul of America.” Since the decision and Biden’s endorsement of Harris, Wikler said that enthusiasm and energy is growing across the state for uniting around Harris.
In addition to the endorsement, Wikler said on Monday afternoon during a press call that 89 of the state’s 95 delegates have come out in support of Harris.
While the process for delegates is “an open process,” Wikle said that “at the same time, as a state we can feel the energy surging to move forward in the process and ensure that she is our nominee.” He said that Wisconsin Democrats have received more than $140,000 in donations over the last 24 hours from nearly 2,000 grassroots donors.
“The numbers just keep shooting up,” Wikler said. “This is a surge of energy. We anticipate a surge of volunteers… There is a surge of focus of enthusiasm, of a kind of flowering of the kind of unity that we’re going to need to defeat Donald Trump.”
Wikler said that he hasn’t heard any of Wisconsin’s delegates say they will oppose Harris’ nomination, and that he has “every confidence that as we move through November, we will be fully united as a party.”
Wikler said that Harris is the candidate best positioned to defeat Trump. He said that she will be able to “prosecute the case against 34-time convicted felon Donald Trump,” as well as serve as an effective messenger on reproductive freedom and “ensure that Trump’s role in overturning Roe vs. Wade is front and center in this election.” He said these issues, specifically, could serve to win votes in Wisconsin, which will likely play a decisive role in the 2024 election.
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