Pennsylvania's 159 Democratic delegates endorse Kamala Harris for president
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pennsylvania's 159 Democratic delegates already pledged their support to Vice President Kamala Harris.
It was the latest move by Democrats to consolidate behind Harris for the party's nomination after President Joe Biden announced he was bowing out of the race.
CBS News estimates that Harris has received the endorsement of a majority of Democratic delegates, setting her up to be the party's nominee for president.
Up next for the Democrats is the party's convention in Chicago in August.
Pennsylvania delegates for Harris
A space along East Carson Street in Pittsburgh will soon transform into one of Harris' campaign offices.
"Everybody I talked to is energized, and I think it has put really new life into the party. And we're all anxious to see what will happen to her vice presidential pick," Democratic state Rep. Dan Frankel said.
He is one of 159 elected Pennsylvania delegates who will soon head to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. He said the state's delegates already reached a consensus.
"It's not going to be the kind of chaos that some people predicted might take place," Frankel said.
He said the delegates voted during a conference call to pledge their support behind Harris.
"While it is different from any other convention I've been to in 40 years of doing this, it's going to in many ways conventional from the standpoint of we know who the nominee is going to be, by then we'll know who the vice president is going to be," Frankel said.
Harris, and any other Democrat looking to challenge her, will submit 300 electronic signatures from convention delegates, but no more than 50 from the same state.
"If there are multiple candidates, there will be a period of several days where those candidates can make their case to the delegates for why they should be in the choice," Democratic state Rep. Jessica Benham said. "And if there's just one candidate, we will proceed to a virtual roll call vote."
Benham, a Pennsylvania delegate for the convention, said anybody who qualifies can still run, but here is how she sees it.
"When people voted for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to be their candidates this spring, they did so knowing if something happened to the president the vice president would be stepping up to serve," she said. "I want to honor that choice that was made by the voters."
Even though she has yet to get the official nod, those who support Harris are busy in and around Pittsburgh setting up multiple campaign offices, with events planned in the coming weeks.