Oakland's response: support and concerns for Harris's endorsement

Voters in Oakland, where Vice President Kamala Harris was born and started her legal career, expressed enthusiasm and apprehension after President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race and endorsed her to challenge Donald Trump.

Harris, the first woman, Black person, or person of South Asian descent to hold the position of vice president, could potentially become the first female president if she secures the Democratic nomination and defeats Republican nominee Donald Trump in November.

Beth Barany, a voter from Oakland, expressed her belief that the candidate would excel as president. "I think she would make a great president. I know she's been busy these last four years making the deciding vote in the Senate, and I feel like people don't know enough about her and we need to learn more about her. I think she's going to be a good president. She was a district attorney in San Francisco, attorney general for California. And, from here, and I think she's going to do great as a president," she said.

Malia Knapps, a voter, stressed the significance of the candidate establishing a stronger presence, particularly among younger voters.

She suggested that if the nominee secures the nomination, she should prioritize engaging with and listening to the concerns of younger generations, who are facing difficulties related to housing, food, transportation, and other issues in today's climate.

Johnny Bester, a resident of Atlanta, expressed his disapproval, “The endorsement that I saw with Kamala, I'm not a fan of that as well. I feel like a lot of us forgot that she was even in the office, because she hasn't been too vocal. She hasn't been too visible,” he said.

Born in Oakland, California in 1964, Harris attended school in nearby Berkeley and began her career as a prosecutor at the Alameda County District Attorney's office.

She later served as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general, and U.S. senator representing California before teaming up with Biden for the 2020 election.

Biden's decision to withdraw came after mounting pressure from his Democratic allies to step down following the June 27 debate, during which the 81-year-old president rambled, often gave nonsensical responses, and failed to call out the former president’s numerous falsehoods.

The unexpected move, made less than four months before the election, disrupted a campaign considered crucial by both political parties.

President Biden, determined to complete his term, swiftly endorsed Harris and urged his party to rally behind her, positioning her as the frontrunner for the nomination at the August convention in Chicago.

“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year," Biden said in another post on X. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump,” he added.

Harris, in a statement, commended Biden’s “altruistic and patriotic gesture” and expressed her determination to “deserve and secure” her party’s nomination. “I am committed to doing everything within my means to unify the Democratic Party — and unify our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his radical Project 2025 agenda,” she stated.

This announcement adds to the drama of an already tumultuous presidential race, following an assassination attempt on Trump at a Pennsylvania rally just a week prior.

It is unprecedented for a presumptive presidential nominee to withdraw from the race so close to the election.

The last time something similar happened was in 1968 when President Lyndon Johnson, facing challenges due to the Vietnam War, announced in March that he would not seek another term after losing a single state's primary.