Harris locks down support from Florida Democrats as roll call nears

Democratic Party delegates are set to vote on a nominee during a virtual roll call which party leaders have set for the first week in August

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks in Florida on 1 May, the day the state’s new six-week abortion ban took effect (Getty Images)

Vice President Kamala Harris has locked up support from almost the entire 254-member Florida delegation to next month’s Democratic National Convention, giving her a significant boost as she looks to earn her party’s presidential nomination.

The vice president was endorsed by President Joe Biden after he withdrew from contention on Sunday.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried told reporters on a conference call Monday morning that Harris has “secured over 230 signatures from our DNC members in the Florida delegation pledging support for her presidential run”.

“The only way we win is if we stand united. We have just over 100 days until Election Day. We must use this time we have left to move forward as one team to elect Kamala Harris as president and defeat Donald Trump in November,” Fried added.

Fried noted that Harris has made more than ten trips to the Sunshine State since she was sworn in, and cited the vice president’s work “as a leading voice in the fight to take back our reproductive rights and hold Republicans accountable for whitewashing our history and attacking our communities.”

“Florida Democrats support Vice President Harris because she is the most qualified person to serve as president and the candidate best positioned to beat Donald Trump in the race for president. We are running a former prosecutor against a convicted felon. No one is better prepared than Vice President Harris to prosecute the case against Donald Trump,” she added.

Continuing, Fried said she was “confident” that Harris would quickly earn support from enough Democratic delegates to become the party’s nominee, and said the vice president’s candidacy could make Florida competitive for the first time since the 2008 election cycle.

Separately, a Florida Democratic Party spokesperson told reporters a letter being circulated among Florida delegates has 236 signatures, leaving 18 delegates to go before Harris could claim support from the entire delegation.

Democratic Party delegates are set to vote on a nominee during a virtual roll call which party leaders have set for the first week in August.