With Biden dropping out of the race, Democrats across the country divert support to Harris
IMMEDIATELY following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential election, Democratic leaders across the country—including several Filipino American lawmakers and politicos—publicly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
Ranking members and leaders of the Democratic Party have for weeks urged Biden to drop out in favor of Harris—citing Biden’s several recent flubs and health concerns, as previously reported in the Asian Journal.
Biden officially dropped out of the race on the morning of Sunday, July 21. According to the Harris for President campaign, the likely nominee for the Democratic Party raised $100 million between Sunday and the following Monday evening, a record-setting haul that included more than 1.1 million unique donors.
If officially nominated by the Democratic National Committee, Harris—who is of Indian and Black American heritage—would be the first Asian American presidential nominee in American history.
Filipino American California Attorney General Rob Bonta shared his endorsement of Harris in an email to supporters. Like Bonta, Harris held office in the Bay Area, serving as San Francisco district attorney from 2004 to 2011 and then California district attorney from 2011 to 2017.
“As our former AG, Kamala knows firsthand the importance of protecting our fundamental rights as the People’s Attorney and keeping our communities safe as our Chief Law Enforcement Officer. She will no doubt do the same as president,” Bonta said, adding that Harris has supported climate change initiatives, affordable health care, and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Democratic congressman of Virginia Bobby Scott—who is of Filipino descent—shared his support of Harris on the app formerly known as Twitter: “The only person best situated to build on that record and defeat Trump is our Vice President @KamalaHarris. She is ready to serve and will make a great president. Let’s get to work!”
Filipino Americans for Harris (FAFH) thanked Biden for stepping down and honored his 54 years of public office service.
“President Biden’s tenure in office has been particularly meaningful to Filipino Americans,” the FAFH team wrote in an email, highlighting the Filipinos who have served his administration.
“President Biden’s commitment to the Filipino American community is also reflected in the historic number of Filipino American delegates attending the Democratic National Committee Convention and appointments throughout his Administration—including Nani Coloretti, Deputy Director at the Office of Management and Budget, Gina Ortiz Jones, former Under Secretary of the Air Force, and Camille Calimlim Touton, Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.”
The FAFH officially endorsed Harris on Tuesday, July 23.
Noted lawmakers and leaders in the vast Southern California Filipino American community like Melissa Ramoso—Artesia councilmember and co-chair of FAFH 2024—celebrated the “historic milestone” of Harris’ campaign for presidency.
Ramoso said, “[Harris] would not only be the first woman to hold the office but also the first Asian American and the first Black woman President. This is a powerful testament to the values of diversity and inclusion that the country strives for, bringing hope and inspiration to millions of people from all backgrounds.”
Mario Salazar, national co-chair of FAFH 2024 and former political organizer, also highlighted Harris’s impact on the Filipino American community, noting her track history of supporting “policies that benefit Filipino Americans, from healthcare reforms to economic benefits.”
Harris is expected to be officially named the Democratic nominee for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month. n
