Idaho Democratic leaders quickly fell in line with Democrats across the country and backed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee to face former after President ’s suddenexit from the race Sunday. The president’s historic decision — this is the of a race — casts the party into uncharted waters, giving Democrats days or weeks to select a new nominee ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August. But while party strategists and commentators have floated holding a competitive nomination process, or even a repeat primary in miniature, Harris appeared to all but clinch the nomination within hours of Biden’s announcement and endorsement of her.
Democrats in Idaho were quick to back her, too. Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, a delegate to the national convention, endorsed Harris on Monday morning, along with 250 other mayors, according to a . Earlier this month, amid panic in the party over Biden’s candidacy following a disastrous debate performance in late June, McLean exhibited support for Biden in a .
House Minority Leader , D-Boise, who is also a delegate, told the Idaho Statesman on Monday that she would back Harris and said the possibility of a competitive process at such a late date was far-fetched. “It seems that there’s been a strong coalescing in the last 48 — it hasn’t even been 48 hours — 36 hours,” Rubel said by phone. “Maybe in a different world, if we had more time, it would have been good to have a more open con.