Tennessee delegates to the DNC unanimously back Kamala Harris as presidential nominee

Tennessee’s Democratic delegates to the party’s national convention unanimously backed President Joe Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris during a call hours after the president announced July 21 he is not seeking reelection.

Biden delegate and Knoxville political strategist Jack Vaughn told Knox News their decision makes Tennessee the first state to put forth an endorsement. Democratic State Party Chair Hendrell Remus was in contact with other state party chairs, who said their states had not yet made an endorsement at the time of Tennessee's decision.

The delegates joined a scheduled Zoom call at 4 p.m. and discussed the party’s path forward following the president’s surprise announcement in a letter to Americans. While not every Tennessee delegate to the Democratic National Convention was on the call, participants decided to endorse Harris in the election many top Democrats thought was impossible for Biden to win against former President Donald Trump. 



Vaughn said all Knoxville delegates are on board to support Harris. Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon is among them, though her initial statement regarding Biden's withdrawal − unlike those from many Democrat colleagues − did not mention Harris by name.



"I know that we're going to nominate someone who unites our party and more importantly unites our country," Kincannon said after the president’s announcement. "We're going to nominate someone who pushes forward on democratic values like supporting working people, supporting LGBTQ equality, supporting women's right to reproductive healthcare including abortion and a president who can stand and move forward on climate action."



Many Republicans, on the other hand, are rejoicing in Biden's announcement, saying his decision proves their belief he is not capable of completing another four years in office. Some are even saying he should not be able to complete his current term. 



If Harris receives the nomination, she'll have to pick a vice president to fill her place. There are plentiful options for the vice presidential pick, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.