President Joe Biden’s abrupt departure from the 2024 presidential contest Sunday could breathe new life into Democratic chances to retain the White House — especially if the party rallies behind Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy, according to some local Democrats.
U.S. Rep. Cori Bush told reporters that she “unequivocally” backs Harris to be her party’s standard-bearer against Donald Trump.
“I am glad that the president cares more about defeating Donald Trump in November,” said Bush, D-St. Louis County. “He’s doing exactly what he's been doing, which is listening to the will of the people.”
Biden announced he would not accept the Democratic nomination for president, a decision that came after a disastrous June debate that led to numerous members of his party calling on him to step aside. He then endorsed Harris, who subsequently announced that she will be running for the nomination.
Bush said that she’s had a good working relationship with Harris’ office during her time in office. She added it’s not lost on her that a Black woman could be at the top of the ticket.
“To have the first Black woman president is something that I want to see happen in my lifetime,” Bush said. “And so, I do believe that there are people who want to see that. And not just Black people. We need our government to look like and have the values of the people that are in this country.”
Both of Bush's rivals in next month's 1st Congressional District Democratic primary, St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell and former state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, posted on the social media platform X that they would also be backing Harris.
"We still have a lot of work to do to beat Donald Trump in November, and @VP Kamala Harris is the right candidate for this moment," Bell tweeted.
Bush’s sentiments were echoed by others at a barbeque in Forest Park on Sunday, including East St. Louis resident Dameon Christian.
“Do I like her? I love her!” said Christian, who is a florist in the Central West End. “That's my sister.”
St. Louis Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard also enthusiastically backed Harris, adding that she could boost Democrats in red states like Missouri.
“I think it's an amazing time, unprecedented times. But I think that at the same time, we all need to galvanize behind her,” Hubbard said. “All of us rising together with this Black woman at the top of the ticket.”
St. Louis Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier added if Harris is the nominee Missouri Democrats could benefit — especially with residents likely to vote on a ballot measure legalizing abortion later this year.
“She definitely brings a boost of energy to Missouri Democrats,” Sonnier said.
Missouri Democratic Party Chair Russ Carnahan said Sunday evening that Harris is the most practical choice for the top of the ticket.
"Democrats voted in Democratic primaries to support that ticket, and she is able to access those funds from the campaign, that big nest egg for the campaign, "Carnahan said. "Given the logistics and time, that seems to be the most likely course. But we'll be learning more in the days ahead."
Skeptics remain
But even local voters who agree with the president’s decision not to run for another term say they have mixed feelings about what happens next.
Rodney Williams, a south St. Louis resident who voted for both Trump and Biden, said he’s wanted the president to end his campaign after recent public stumbles. But with the election less than four months away, he doubts the party’s ability to effectively mobilize around a new candidate.
“I think that the Democratic Party is going to have a major problem because you don't have too long before the election and you need to have somebody who's comparable to stand and run, but have the votes of the people at the same time,” he said.
Williams says he’s uncertain if that person could be Harris.
“I just hope everything turns out for the best for the country because we need it,” said Williams.
Austin Carnes of Creve Coeur, who identifies as politically independent, said the end of Biden’s campaign felt inevitable after his poor debate performance last month, but after the show of unity at the Republican National Convention last week, the move feels especially consequential.
“I think that the pressure for him to drop out should have happened two years ago – I think if that was going to happen, that's when it needed to happen. But now with the Republican Party so unified, I think that four months before the election is way too late for him to be dropping out,” Carnes said.
St. Louis resident Julia Schlegel said she had been disappointed with how Biden handled Israel’s military attacks in Gaza.
Whether Biden’s departure will be a positive thing for Democrats and the country is unclear, she said.
“I very much am happy about that aspect of it,” Schlegel said. “And I feel like I saw his aging. I saw that he wasn't as able as he needed to be to run a huge country.”
Support and criticism of Biden
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones posted a statement celebrating Biden’s work, which she says has “delivered tangible results” for city residents, including the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. She added that she supports Harris as the party’s next nominee.
Illinois’ Democratic U.S. senators issued statements thanking the president for his public service.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth praised Biden “for, once again, putting our country before himself.”
Sen. Dick Durbin said it will be the job of the party to “unite behind a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump and keep America moving in the right direction.”
He added: “I will do everything in my power to help that effort” but did not offer who that person may be.
Illinois Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski of Springfield called Biden “the most productive and consequential president of her lifetime,” celebrating investments in central and southern Illinois in a statement that also voiced her support for Harris.
Some Republicans are urging Biden to step down from the presidency before the November election.
Illinois U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, issued a statement that said if White House staff and Democrats agree Biden is unfit to campaign, that calls into question his ability to run the country.
Missouri’s senior U.S. senator, Republican Josh Hawley, shared the president’s statement on X along with a call for him to resign. Hawley’s Senate colleague Eric Schmitt echoed the sentiment, concluding if the president “isn’t fit enough to serve as a candidate after the primary, he isn’t fit to serve as president now.”
“Americans are ready for new leadership, not more of the same from Democrats - regardless of who they now scramble to nominate,” Schmitt said.
Illinois Republican Congresswoman Mary Miller said in a statement, which began with criticism of Harris for having stood by the president, that the “American people deserve to know who is actually running the country right now since the Democrats are finally admitting it is not Joe Biden.”
The Illinois Democratic Party, which is preparing for its national convention in Chicago next month, issued a statement praising the president for his work and reiterating the importance of defeating Trump in November.
"The work continues and we are ready to face the challenges ahead with unity and resolve," the statement said.
It does not endorse a specific candidate or elaborate on the process of choosing Biden's replacement.
This story was updated Sunday evening to add comments from Missouri Democratic Party Chair Russ Carnahan.
