Minnesota's most influential Democrats rushed to back Vice President Kamala Harris as the party's nominee after President Biden dropped from the race .
The big picture: Biden's decision, announced via a letter on Sunday, introduced a seismic and historic shift in the 2024 presidential race less than a month before the Democratic National Convention, Axios' Erin Doherty writes .
State of play: While Biden quickly endorsed Harris to succeed him as nominee, other leading Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and congressional leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer , stopped short of naming a favorite on Sunday.
What they're saying: Minnesota DFL Party chair Ken Martin , U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar , U.S. Sen. Tina Smith , U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar , Attorney General Keith Ellison , and U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum were among those who swiftly threw their support behind Harris on Sunday.
- "Vice President Harris has served our country with honor and distinction, and she will be the candidate to bring us together to win in November," Klobuchar wrote in a post on X .
The latest: Gov. Tim Walz , who serves as chair of the Democratic Governors Association and co-chair of the convention's rules committee , and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig followed suit on Monday morning.
Yes, but: U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who challenged Biden for the nomination, called for a straw poll of delegates followed by a series of televised forums ahead of a vote at the convention.
The intrigue: Walz's name has been floated as a potential VP pick for Harris, though he's not considered in the top tier of potential picks .
Zoom in: More than 40% of Minnesota's 93 delegates to the DNC told MPR News that they wanted Harris to be the nominee.
- Fifteen said they weren't sure or declined to comment. The rest couldn't be reached as of 8pm Sunday.
The other side: Minnesota Republicans argued that Biden should resign immediately, joining a national pile-on from GOP leaders.
- "If the Democrat party has deemed Joe Biden unfit to run for re-election, he's certainly unfit to control our nuclear codes," U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP whip and chair of Trump's campaign in Minnesota, said on X .
What we're watching: How the shake-up impacts the political state of play in Minnesota.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include endorsements from Walz and Craig.
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