Texas DNC delegates endorse Kamala Harris for presidential nomination in ‘overwhelming majority’

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas delegation headed to the Democratic National Convention made it official Monday night — it wants Kamala Harris to be the party’s nominee for president in an “overwhelming majority.”

Texas Democrats said via a press release that Harris is “uniquely qualified” to beat Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.

(Monday), the Texas Democratic National Delegation proudly announced our endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as our party’s nominee for President. Her historic tenure as the first Black and South Asian woman to hold the office of the Vice President has been marked by an unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and progress for all Americans. With her extensive experience, dedication to public service, and proven leadership, we believe Kamala Harris is uniquely qualified to defeat Donald Trump and lead our nation forward – championing the values and ideals that unite us as a country.

Texas Democratic Party

State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, an Austin Democrat serving as a superdelegate at the convention, said Monday she’s following Biden’s lead to support Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

“I have been involved in the conventions in the past, and I’ll tell you frankly, usually, they’re pretty boring affairs. This one is not going to be boring,” Eckhardt said. “It’s going to be history-making, history-making in a really positive way.”

Texas Democrats are sending a total of 273 delegates to the DNC, which officially begins Aug. 19 in Chicago. Angel Carroll, a first-time delegate from Williamson County, said she hoped the state’s delegates would publicly back Harris before they go to the convention.

“We are less than 100 days away from early voting,” Carroll said. “We have some catching up to do. We have some work to do.”

She said there’s a lot more momentum and energy, though, in a potential Harris candidacy, pointing to reports about an eye-popping number of donations. A spokesperson said Monday afternoon the campaign raised $81 million in 24 hours , setting a new fundraising record for a one-day haul.

“But we have to all align quickly, coalesce behind [Harris] and start hitting the streets and making sure that folks know who and what is on the ballot,” Carroll said. “I think she’s gonna give President Trump a run for his money, and I look forward to watching it.”

As of Monday afternoon, no major Democrat has entered the race to challenge Harris for the party’s nomination. That’s why another first-time DNC delegate, Daniel Ayala of Hays County, said it appears the vice president is the most likely person to lead the top of the ticket.

“I fully support Vice President Harris to be the new nominee,” Ayala explained. “By that same token, I want to make sure that we run things in an open, transparent manner and allow for folks to come in, right, because the cards the way they seem to be falling right now, it’s going to be Kamala Harris’s job, right? But you can’t just crown someone. You have to let it go through democratically. You have to let the process see itself through for that to happen, which I have no doubt it will happen that way. It just needs to allow itself to happen.”

Ayala said he already spoke to a couple of Texas Democratic Party leaders and got assurances there would be no mandate for delegates to support Harris, which he appreciates.

“I like that our party is understanding that we’re not here to just be told what to do, right, that we have a voice and it matters,” Ayala added.

Eckhardt explained how the voting will work on the convention floor when the delegates select both a presidential and vice presidential nominee.

“We will go into the convention with individuals who have already pledged to Harris, and then we will have our first ballot vote, I imagine will probably decide on the first ballot,” Eckhardt said. “As a superdelegate, I wouldn’t vote until a second ballot if the first ballot doesn’t produce a nominee, but I feel very confident that the first ballot is going to produce a nominee.”

Several other state parties already announced their DNC delegates met Sunday and decided to pledge support for Harris as a bloc.

Texas has the third largest amount of delegates following California and New York. Where their support goes could help tip the scales if multiple candidates declare they’re challenging Harris for the nomination.

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