Bronx Democrats call for unity following President Biden’s exit from presidential race – Bronx Times

Bronx Democrats are reacting with messages of unity following the stunning news that President Joe Biden is dropping his bid for re-election and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. 

While six other U.S. presidents throughout history have decided not to seek re-election when eligible — most recently Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 — Biden’s exit on July 21, with only 183 days left in his term and 105 days before the November election, has made waves in American politics.  

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson did not specifically mention Harris in her post on X but said that President Biden has served “dutifully” during one of the most challenging periods in American history. 

“We look forward to him passing the torch so we can continue to ensure our borough, city and state receives the resources to support and uplift our communities,” Gibson said. 

Assembly Member Chantel Jackson of the 79th District (Concourse Village, Melrose, Morrisania, Claremont, Belmont and East Tremont) posted on X that she was among the 44,000 Black women from across the country who quickly mobilized in a Sunday night Zoom call to raise $1 million for Harris’ campaign in just a few hours.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, who rallied against Trump ahead of the former president’s May 24 campaign appearance in the Bronx, said in a July 22 appearance on NY1 that Harris has his full support. 

If Harris becomes the Democratic nominee, “She’s going to represent the future, and Donald Trump is a relic of the past,” Torres said. 

The Democratic party “should clearly coalesce” around Harris’ candidacy, Torres said in a July 21 post on X.

“Anyone musing about a romanticized free-for-all at the Democratic National Convention is living in a dangerous fantasy land,” he said. 

AOC speaks out

Despite support for Harris from Bill and Hillary Clinton and other influential Democrats — and a quick $50 million raised for her campaign —  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of Queens and the South Bronx, cautioned that Harris’ candidacy should not be taken for granted.  

Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most influential voices in progressive politics, raised eyebrows by sticking with the more moderate Biden until the end — and she cautioned in an hour-long, late-night July 19 Instagram Live video that if he did drop out, a Democratic party coalescence around Harris was far from guaranteed. 

Ocasio-Cortez said that while Biden’s poor debate performance on June 27 did not change the opinions of most regular voters, it spurred a higher level of action from the class of political insiders and wealthy donors who organized to push Biden out. 

“I’m in these rooms. I see what they say in conversations,” said Ocasio-Cortez, who said many in the elite group are “interested in removing the whole ticket,” including Harris. 

The conversation should have started long ago because of the legal and political ambiguity around what would happen if Biden dropped out — but “many of those people are the same people who closed ranks around anyone who even wanted to raise this conversation a year ago,” she said. 

Ocasio-Cortez also used the appearance to call out fellow Democrats who gave anonymous statements to the press encouraging Biden to drop out. 

“That’s bull—-,” she said of those who were “too cowardly to come out with a public opinion.” 

Ocasio-Cortez also had strong words for pessimistic Democrats who believe the election is doomed to be won by Trump.

“My community does not have the luxury of accepting loss in July of an election year,” she said.

As of the time of the video, Ocasio-Cortez said she had not yet seen a clear argument for a good outcome if Biden left the race and how the logistics would work if he did. The “legal gray zone” that would result from Biden’s exit would certainly prompt legal challenges from the Republican party — which she said are already in the works. 

Ocasio-Cortez warned of the possibility of another election decided by the Supreme Court, as it was in the 2000 race between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush, which involved weeks of contentious recounts and deliberations. The decision declaring Bush the winner is still debated today. 

Ocasio-Cortez said she had not yet seen a game plan from lawyers and legislators about what is legally possible if Biden dropped out. “No one had an answer for me.”

While Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged that the situation is unpredictable and no one can know what will happen, one certainty, she said, is that Biden’s nearly-$100 million campaign coffers cannot be transferred to anyone else besides Harris.

“I don’t think an open convention is the way,” she said — but added, “I’ll do whatever needs to be done” to defeat Trump. 

Despite her concerns prior to the news of Biden’s exit, Ocasio-Cortez posted on July 21 that she stood behind Harris and called for unity among the party. The nominee will be named at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22.

“Kamala Harris will be the next President of the United States,” she said.

Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes