TYLER, Texas — Democrats around the country are feeling a bit unsure this week after President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he is dropping his reelection bid against former President Donald Trump.
Then, the president immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place on the ballot, a decision that representatives here in East Texas feel is a strong one.
"His agenda is going to be very positive, and it will only lend the utmost credence to Kamala’s campaign," Dr. Nancy Nichols, a Democratic delegate representing East Texas, said.
Nancy and Mike Nichols will both be attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from Aug. 19 to 22, as first-time delegates representing East Texas. They feel that Harris’ background as a prosecutor gives the vice president a strong foundation as a candidate.
"I’ve always liked her. She’s a great person, she’s a prosecutor, she’s not going to put up with crap from anybody. And so I think that’s great, not only for the position, but for the country and probably the world," Mike Nichols said.
Harris did run for president back in 2020, but her campaign didn’t gain a ton of traction, said John Barrett, associate professor of political science at LeTourneau University.
"Kamala Harris did not run a great presidential campaign, first time around. So she was not somebody that really kind of caught fire or over performed. She was somebody that kind of underperformed," Barrett said.
Even with that past run, Mike Nichols still feels that Harris is the best choice to represent Democrats on the ballot. She’s been endorsed by the president, which is important to him, but beyond that he’s not sure the party has enough time to find a different candidate that they can all get behind.
"There may be somebody that might be stronger, but for them to come in, to me political suicide to do that," Mike Nichols said.
Delegates in the state of Texas need to agree on a representative 74 days before the election for them to appear on the ballot. Currently, that Nov. 5 election is 106 days away.