Several members of the UT chapter of University Democrats and Austin Young Democrats serving as delegates to the Democratic National Convention endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign Monday.
This comes after President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he would not seek reelection, instead endorsing Harris as the new Democratic Party nominee.
According to a survey by the Associated Press, Harris has the support of enough delegates to win the nomination. However, this is not an official count, and the Democrats will officially choose their nominee when delegates vote in August.
University Democrats President and DNC delegate Brian Peña said Biden’s decision to exit the race didn’t surprise him. He said he thought this was inevitable given the amount of Democratic lawmakers who had been calling for Biden to drop out of the race.
“The writing was on the wall for the President, especially those last few days,” Peña said.
Andrew W. McKiernan, executive director of UT’s chapter of Young Conservatives of Texas, said that while he was shocked to hear Biden would not seek reelection, it wasn’t surprising.
“This pressure had been building pretty clearly for three weeks so I’m not too surprised, but obviously it is still very shocking to hear that the incumbent president the United States is no longer seeking a second term after winning basically every delegate, and we’re only about 100 days to the election,” McKiernan said.
Peña and Austin Young Democrats Treasurer D’Angelo Colter are both anticipating an increase in voter turnout among younger age groups who they both said Harris is more relatable to.
“She definitely has a different background and different lived experience that can captivate a lot of young people, especially young people of color, young women (and young people who) … come from a family of immigrants,” said Colter, a Public Affairs master’s student at UT.
Peña added an increase in turnout could help Democrats in state-wide elections.
“This breathes a lot of new life into young voters, not just here in Austin, not just here in Texas, but across the country,” Peña said. “Candidates like Colin (Allred) and candidates across the state that are lower on the ballot are going to feel a real real boost of energy from Kamala Harris being the top of the ticket.”
However, while McKiernan agrees there will likely be an increase in young voter turnout, he also said Harris is experiencing a “honeymoon phase,” and it will be a week or two before voters look more closely at her record.
This is a crucial election, and not just because of the candidates, Colter said.
“We really have the opportunity to move forward and to really undo a lot of wrongs (that have) happened in the country,” he said.
McKiernan hopes that whichever candidate wins is best for the country, and that younger voters turn out to the polls.
“This has been probably the craziest political week and a half of my life,” McKiernan said. “I’ve talked to many young people who are exhausted with the historical events. … Even if you vote for a candidate I don’t really like all that much, I still hope that you vote. I still hope that you have your voice heard.”
