The Traffic

"Democratic Silence on Kamala Harris Speaks Volumes"

As President Joe Biden announced his exit from the presidential race, many Democratic incumbents quickly backed Vice President Kamala Harris as their party's nominee. However, several key battleground Democrats were conspicuously quiet about their support for Harris on Sunday.

In contrast to the dozens of House and Senate Democratic incumbents who immediately endorsed Harris, many Democratic challengers running for competitive seats across the country failed to mention her in their statements. This was particularly noticeable in blue states like New York and California, where voters have supported GOP candidates down the ballot in recent elections.

While some Democrats, like Sens. Bob Casey and Tammy Baldwin, eventually endorsed Harris, others, especially challengers to Republican incumbents, remained silent. This hesitation speaks to the politically murky situation as Harris coalesces support.

Battleground Democrats have been concerned that Biden's unpopularity and questions about his viability would hurt their chances in November. While a replacement could help, Harris is a relative unknown, and few campaigns have polling data indicating her standing in key states and districts.

Some Democratic operatives are taking a wait-and-see approach, hoping that someone better might emerge. Voters surveyed in battleground states showed Harris either running even with Biden or underperforming compared to him, with some exceptions among young voters and voters of color.

Candidates in key Senate races, like Arizona Senate hopeful Ruben Gallego, have not yet endorsed Harris. Neither of the two most vulnerable Senate Democrats, Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester, backed Harris on Sunday.

In Pennsylvania, Casey praised Biden's legacy without mentioning Harris before eventually endorsing the vice president. The House Democratic incumbents running in red districts also declined to make any endorsements on Sunday.

One member from a swing district summarized voter sentiment as "Kamala, eh that's not good," citing her poor performance in the primary four years ago. Democratic House hopefuls have been notably quiet about Harris, with only a few voicing support.

In Virginia, Missy Cotter Smasal and Eugene Vindman publicly endorsed Harris, but most top-tier challengers released statements thanking Biden without backing a successor. In New York and California, nearly all Democratic candidates running for Republican-held seats and some incumbent members declined to offer an endorsement.

This silence speaks volumes about the uncertainty surrounding Harris's candidacy and the political calculus of battleground Democrats. As Harris coalesces support, it remains to be seen whether she can win over these critical issues.