When President Joe Biden rallied Atlanta supporters in March, long before deciding to end his reelection bid, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens was noticeably absent from the stage.
But as Democrats look to renew energy surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, the first-term mayor was front-and-center at her first official event held in Atlanta last week.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee drew her largest crowd yet, according to campaign officials, with more than 19,000 RSVPs for the rally that featured high-profile Georgia politicians like Dickens, Stacey Abrams and U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
“There’s no one better prepared to lead our nation forward than our Vice President Kamala Harris,” Dickens told the boisterous crowd at the Georgia State Convocation Center.
“Who better to take on a convicted felon than a prosecutor?” the mayor said.
The switch-up in candidate for the party means former Biden surrogates like Atlanta’s mayor are reaffirming their role in the new campaign. Dickens, along with Warnock, were the two Georgia politicians named to the former ticket’s campaign advisory board.
Dickens told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that although Harris hasn’t formally established her own task force of local leaders, the vice president told Atlanta’s mayor he would be “instrumental” in her bid.
The mayor said he’s expecting to travel both around Georgia and out-of-state to spread key talking points to voters along with other key surrogates like the state’s Democratic U.S. senators.
“We’ve already made plans for me to go to some other key areas in the state of Georgia, whether that’s Columbus, Augusta,” he said. “So I’ll be moving around a good bit between now and November spreading the message about Kamala Harris and the opportunity for her to become a president.”
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
After Biden’s consequential decision to bow out of the race in favor of another candidate who may have a better chance at beating former Republican President Donald Trump in November, local Democratic leaders like Dickens have quickly pivoted their support toward Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I think it was the right decision — it was a tough decision,” Dickens told the AJC. “One, for a man that has served since he was 29-years-old in government to be able to say: ‘OK, it’s time for me to step down’ and allow someone else to take the reins.”
“But it was necessary for the country,” the mayor said. “And it came at a time that allows Kamala Harris the momentum to get the job done.”
The boost in enthusiasm among Democratic voters was on full display when Harris rallied the crowd in Atlanta — marking her 15th visit to the state since taking office as vice president.
Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC
Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC
Outside the arena, hundreds watched the vice president deliver her speech on the sidewalk in the blistering heat after the center hit maximum capacity.
Dickens likened the energy at the event to enthusiasm around former President Barack Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012.
“Everybody was excited and fired up — the momentum is real,” he said. “The city, the whole region came out — a diverse crowd of all ages, races, people of different backgrounds — folks who are fired up about supporting Kamala Harris.”
Attendees also echoed renewed hope that Georgia will once again vote blue in the presidential race. Sarah Cusick, a Candler Park resident who held a sign that said “Vote Kamala” as the crowd flocked into the convocation center Tuesday, said she was “riding the energy of Kamala support” despite the high temperatures.
“I’m very excited to see this many people excited about her candidacy,” she said. “There’s so much curiosity and faith that this can happen with her — we can actually get another four years and stop Trump in his tracks.”
But outside the convocation center and directly below the Olympic rings on Tuesday, the reminder of Georgia’s swing state-status was on full display as Democrats celebrated the Harris bid.
A group of a few dozen Trump supporters gathered outside the arena chanting “Georgia! Red!” as attendees entered the venue.
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
