MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As more Democratic leaders in the Mid-South and nationally follow President Joe Biden's endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party's 2024 nominee for president, Shelby County political leaders on both sides of the aisle weighed in on whether she can beat Donald Trump.
Tennessee is the first state in the country whose convention delegates have already voted unanimously to back Vice President Kamala Harris' run for the White House.
Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari of Memphis was team Biden in 2020. She was prepared to support him again until the President decided not to run for re-election.
"Shocked, disappointed, very sad, but at the same time, immediately pivoting and saying, 'Hey, we've got to win this election. What's the best way to do that?'" Akbari said.
It's the country's immediate future that worries Shelby County Republican Party Chairman Cary Vaughn.
"What does the next six months look like with his leadership or lack thereof?...I feel like I've been lied to," Vaughn said.
With less than four months until the November election, Biden's endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris is gaining momentum among Democrats.
"She's collected a significant amount of delegates; of course, Tennessee was the first group of delegates to pledge all of our delegates to the vice president - 77," Akbari said.
"What is she going to do differently than we haven't seen in the last four years?" Vaughn asked.
A strategic play for Harris' campaign will be who she chooses as a running mate.
"She's from the west coast. I'd like to see her lean into some of our southern governors. We have Roy Cooper out of North Carolina. Andy Beshear out of Kentucky. We have Mark Kelly out of Arizona," Akbari said. "So, these are places where she could not only pick up votes, but she can also pick a running mate that other folks within the party apparatus identify with."
But Vaughn said no matter what Harris' ticket looks like, going up against the other side will be a challenge.
"It could be anybody from Gavin Newsom to Secretary Pete, you name it. But I think it's still going to be a long shot when they go up against Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. You're talking about an assertive team. They have a game plan. They're going to work the game plan. So no matter who they put up, it will fall short come November 5th," Vaughn said.
Tennessee Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton also weighed in on President Biden's decision to drop out, releasing the following statement:
"This historical disenfranchisement of tens of millions of Americans from every state in the Union simply because the progressive elites didn't think President Biden could win in November. This uprooting of the election process is anti-democratic and should worry us all. This action by the Democrat Party, joining the progressives, truly shows they are politics above all else, and not people before politics."
Democrats are holding a virtual roll call with delegates on August 7 to choose the nominees before the convention in mid-August.