Readers Say

This is who readers say should be the Democratic presidential nominee

It's not Vice President Kamala Harris.

By Annie Jonas

July 22, 2024

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Shortly after announcing he would drop out of the 2024 presidential race, President Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Harris as his successor. But she’s not the candidate most Boston.com readers said they want to nominated at the Democratic National Convention in August.

Vice President Kamala Harris accepted President Joe Biden’s endorsement after the president announced Sunday afternoon he will no longer seek reelection.

“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a statement on Sunday.

After his endorsement, some Massachusetts leaders followed suit, such as Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, as well as Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Lori Trahan and Attorney General Andrea Campbell.

When we asked Boston.com readers who should be the next presidential candidate, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg took first place with 36% of the more than 200 total votes, followed by Harris in second with 24% of the vote.

Reader J.D. from Cambridge, who voted in favor of Buttigieg as the presidential nominee, said Biden’s choice to step down ushered in a fresh cohort of younger candidates, namely Buttigieg.

“When I voted for Biden in 2020, I expected him to set the stage for a new generation of public servants. This meant stepping down so that someone else could step up in 2024,” he wrote.

Another reader praised Buttigieg – nicknamed “Mayor Pete” for serving as South Bend, Indiana’s mayor from 2012 to 2020 – for his breadth of professional experience.

“Mayor Pete would lead our country into superior lands, because of his lived experience,” Franklin D. from Boston said.

Buttigieg is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Oxford, as well as a former naval officer who is serving as the 19th United States secretary of transportation.

On the flip side, former president Donald Trump’s pick for Vice President, JD Vance, earned a similar gold star of approval from Boston.com readers when we asked if they agreed with Trump’s choice.

“[Vance is] very intelligent, eloquent, energetic and a fierce supporter of conservative values. He also had a very difficult upbringing and can relate to people extremely well. Great pick!” reader Bob R. from Danvers said.

With Election Day Nov. 5, and the Democratic National Convention scheduled to begin Aug. 19, the delegates who were elected during the primary campaign to support Biden will now be tasked with voting on who will be the party’s nominee. And with Biden’s endorsement, Harris leads the pack among the candidates seeking nomination.

Below, Boston.com readers share their thoughts on Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential election.

Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.

“Kamala has experience and nationwide recognition. We need the strength of the Biden/Harris record to win the election and preserve our democracy.” – Brian, Westminster

“VP Harris has demonstrated national and international leadership and represents the democratic platform. She deserves to be the candidate.” – Annel, Needham

“Harris is eminently qualified and has been serving next to Biden through many crucial events, both here and abroad. She brings a depth of experience and knowledge that no other candidate can possibly match. It is crucial that the excellent work Joe Biden has begun be continued by her. It is exciting to look ahead to what she can, and will accomplish as president. And, we need a woman in the highest office.” – Anabel G., Lexington

“She has the fortitude and charisma.” – Cameron L., Stoneham

“Harris will beat Trump and can step right in.” – Eric O., West Newton

“It just has to be. Given that a right that women have held as guaranteed for 50 years has been revoked, and given the rise of white Christian-Nationalists with the GOP, along with her skills as a former prosecutor, I don’t see a better positioned candidate. John Fetterman for VP would seal the deal!” – Dave, Boston

“We need a new younger voice who will lead our country and uphold our democracy. I believe Kamala Harris and the team she decides to surround herself with will lead the USA into the next generation of leaders to continue to make our great nation a more peaceful and Democratic United States of America!” – Anonymous reader, South Shore