Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said he was shocked but backed Kamala Harris without hesitation as news broke about President Joe Biden endorsing her bid as the Democratic nominee.
After Biden submitted to the mounting calls for him to end his reelection bid, Johnson discussed what’s next for Georgia Democrats on Monday’s episode of “Politically Georgia” with only a few months until the general election.
“Now the oldest guy in the election is not the Democratic candidate,” Johnson said. “You have someone now who certainly can go toe-to-toe on issues.”
As Democrats and Republicans make sense of the new political landscape, both parties are shifting their game plans for the presidential race. For some Republicans, that shift started with calling for Biden to resign as president. But Johnson pushed back and said the president will serve the rest of his term and leave a “historic legacy that historians and pundits will say was one of the most transformative in our nation’s history.”
With the Democratic National Convention next month, no rivals have challenged Harris to take the seat as the new party nominee. But Johnson said: “It’s not a coronation. She’s going to have to earn every single vote.”
And as questions of whom Harris will choose as her running mate percolate, Johnson said whoever she decides on should help shore up support in key battleground states.
He said that despite Harris being at the forefront of women’s rights, ultimately, the American people will decide whether the former prosecutor is suited to lead the party in taking on Donald Trump.
“She’s going to have to make a convincing case to the American people of not only the progress the Biden-Harris administration has made, but certainly why people should trust her and trust her leadership,” he said.
Tuesday on “Politically Georgia”: Hear our live show from Monday night in Savannah with U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.
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