Marjorie Hershey, professor emeritus of political science at Indiana University, said she was driving home from her grandson’s baseball tournament when she heard on the radio that President Joe Biden was stepping out of the race.
“On the one hand, it certainly wasn’t unexpected. But on the other hand, it was quite a shock, just given the fact that it’s so rare,” Hershey said.
While President Lyndon B. Johnson announced on March 31, 1968, that he would not seek the Democratic nomination for a second term, and President Richard Nixon announced his resignation from the presidency on Aug. 8, 1974, in the wake of the Watergate scandal, such an announcement is rare so close to an election, Hershey said.
Democratic Party rules state that if a nominee steps down the Democratic National Convention chooses their successor, Hershey said. This year’s Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago on Aug. 19-Aug. 22, but it is likely the party will hold a virtual vote ahead of time like it had planned to do for Biden, Hershey said.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy presents many benefits, Hershey said, because she’s Biden’s second in command and she has run a national campaign in the past.
“The great majority of these Democratic National Convention delegates are Biden supporters, so there was every reason to expect that they would vote for Biden’s second in command anyway. He sealed that by having endorsed Harris,” Hershey said.
Since his debate with Trump, Biden slipped behind further in the polls, Hershey said. While the next few weeks will be critical for Harris, Hershey said the Democratic Party appears to be united around her.
“This has really shaken up the race,” Hershey said. “If the Democrats are able to unite, and it looks as though that is what they’re doing, then I think the Democrats are back in the presidential race.”
Northwest Indiana political officials largely reacted to Sunday’s shakeup of the presidential race along party lines.
Don Craft, Porter County Democratic Party Chairman, said the news of Biden stepping aside was bittersweet.
“I was sad for President Biden because I know he definitely would’ve liked to stay in the race, but having someone fresher in there will help us out,” Craft said.
Craft said he supports Harris as the party nominee. Harris will perform well in against former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump, Craft said, and Trump is likely nervous about the match-up.
“I seriously doubt Trump wants to debate Kamala Harris,” Craft said. “I think it’s great. I think Vice President Harris has a lot to bring to the ticket. I’m 100% behind her.”
Lake County Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman and former East Chicago Councilwoman Myrna Maldonado was at the Porter County Fair Sunday when she started hearing the news about Biden suspending his campaign. She said she teared up a little bit.
“I’m not going to lie: I was one of those Dems who became disillusioned after the debate, so I was elated to hear the news,” Maldonado said. “I love President Biden for his selflessness over what couldn’t have been an easy decision.”
That said, the potential choice of Vice President Harris as the new candidate has her raring to go, even if Porter County, where she is now a precinct committeewoman, is going to be a much harder sell than Lake County.
“This is strong GOP country, but that doesn’t mean I’m not getting out there and knocking on doors. This has fired me up more than I’ve been in a long time, and I hope (Harris) is our candidate,” she said.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, has pledged his support to Harris on Monday.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Vice President Harris to lower costs, create more good-paying job opportunities, restore reproductive rights for women, support law enforcement agencies, and advance our agenda to create work and wealth throughout Northwest Indiana,” Mrvan said in a statement.
Lake County Councilman, GOP Chair, and Republican candidate for Indiana’s First District Randy Niemeyer issued a statement calling for Biden to step down as president.
“Now that Biden has acknowledged he is unfit to run, it’s clear he’s not fit to finish his term as president,” Niemeyer said.
Lake County Democratic Party Chairman Jim Wieser said Sunday that the decision had to be “incredibly difficult” for a man who so deeply loves his country and served it well. But the work to choose and support whoever the new candidate starts immediately, Wieser said.
“(Biden) needs to be recognized as a great president who’s passed amazing legislation, such as the Infrastructure Bill, expanding benefits for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals, signing executive orders to protect reproductive rights, and navigating economic growth after the pandemic. But … we need to move forward and put all our support behind the next candidate — that’s how I look at it.
“I see this as an opportunity for Lake County Dems — and Dems as a whole — to galvanize, because the energy and excitement to put into this is palpable.”
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
