Public Wise Board Chair Eric Laufer in Newsweek – Opinion

Moments ago, President Joe Biden made the courageous and necessary decision not to run for reelection. And with less than one month until Democrats officially nominate their candidate for the top of the ticket at the Democratic National Convention, our party is at a critical juncture: who is our candidate?

Enter Vice President Kamala Harris.

A household name who was democratically and fairly elected on a national ticket in 2020, as well as the presumptive nominee during Biden’s successful primary campaign this spring, Harris is known to Democrats, Independents, and undecideds. A recent poll from Way to Win shows that Vice President Harris performs a whopping 12 points over Biden among low propensity and independent leaning voters. We’ve long known the importance of needing those on the margins to win the White House, but these votes will also bolster house and senate races across the country with additional turnout. This isn’t merely a Biden vs. Harris calculation, it’s a Harris vs. Trump one as well. In that same poll, when potential voters were presented with both positive and negative information about the Vice President, her vote share versus Trump increased by 4 points. 

There should be a process for delegates to elect a new nominee and I believe that nominee should be Vice President Harris. Nominating Vice President Harris would in no way be a “coronation.” This is in fact what the Democratic electorate was supporting in the primary when they voted to re-nominate President Biden, knowing full well that Vice President Harris was the backup should the President become unable to campaign and serve. The convention delegates should honor the will of the people and cast their votes for Vice President Harris. Furthermore, skipping over her would send the message that our party does not trust a Black woman to lead, which stands to alienate Black Americans, who are the most consistently Democratic voters in our party’s base. 

There is an emerging opinion that Democratic elites want Harris off of the ticket. My financial support for Democratic candidates and causes can be measured in the eight figures, and I am fully supporting Vice President Harris. In fact, I also shared my intentions to commit $1M to a Harris presidential candidacy on day one, and I know I’m not alone. 

We need the votes. In a study of over 15,000 voters conducted by Blue Labs, a variety of alternative candidates, including the Vice President, outperformed President Biden across battleground states. This polling also showed that while Trump currently has a comfortable lead in all states surveyed, an alternate candidate would draw Trump voters, uncommitteds, and third party supporters. Democrats will need every vote, every dollar, and every ounce of support to defeat Trump.

The hard truth is that campaigns need voters and money. There’s real tension when these two pull in different directions, but Democrats have the chance to support a candidate who can win over voters and fundraise a war chest big enough to defeat Trump. Vice President Harris is the one to bring it all together. 

President Biden saved our country from a second Trump term in 2020. He deserves praise for having an extraordinarily successful presidency that will benefit the American people and the world for years to come. He’s now passed the baton to his Vice President, and we all come together to defeat Trump again. President Biden, like George Washington, has just stepped away from power at just the right moment, to secure the soul of our great nation.

Eric Laufer is the co-founder and Board President of Public Wise, a voting rights organization which works to secure a government that reflects the will and protects the rights of the people. Laufer is also a Democrat.