House Democrats say Vice President Kamala Harris is doing a better job than President Joe Biden when it comes to forging ties with lawmakers.
Before he dropped his bid for reelection, many Democrats worried Biden’s campaign was doomed for failure and were reluctant to stump for him on the campaign trail. Following Harris's swift ascent to the top of the Democratic ticket after Biden dropped his bid and endorsed her as the party's presidential candidate, Democratic House lawmakers said there’s a “night and day” difference in enthusiasm for performing as campaign surrogates for Harris , according to a report from Axios.
"I wasn't a Biden campaign surrogate because I wasn't asked ... But Kamala, it's a different story," Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) claimed, "The Biden team had an issue of many members not feeling included and is attempting to address the issue of including more people.”
Harris faces an abbreviated campaign because of her late entrance into the 2024 election cycle but she has raced to build a winning Democratic coalition.
The left-leaning New Democrat Coalition has been a key part of the Harris campaign’s efforts to make inroads in the lower chamber and mold lawmakers, who were disillusioned with Biden’s campaign, into enthusiastic voices for her candidacy.
Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH), who heads the group, said the Harris campaign tapped the organization to poll nearly 100 Democratic members in the House to determine which lawmakers would be willing to serve as campaign surrogates.
The lawmakers surveyed indicated that the outreach from the Harris campaign is a welcome departure from the Biden playbook and expressed increased enthusiasm for stumping for the vice president.
"They've asked what our interest level is in a way I haven't been asked previously,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) noted. “Often, it's the people who really want to go do it who say something. This time, they're approaching everyone."
As chairwoman of the New Democrat Coalition, Kuster indicated Democratic interest in performing as Biden surrogates hit a low before his campaign exit.
Democrats need to gain four seats to capture the majority in the lower chamber. Biden’s dismal pollings following his first presidential debate depressed some vulnerable House Democrats in tight battles to keep their seats. Far from offering their services to the Biden campaign, many lawmakers called on the president to drop his bid for a second term.
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But there's been a marked shift over a month into Harris’s presidential campaign.
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) said the Harris campaign now has "more interested surrogates than they know what to do with."
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