Thank You, President Biden
Message from the Chair
On behalf of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, I want to express our sincere gratitude to President Biden’s long and storied public service career: 36 years as a United States Senator, 8 years as Vice President, and 4 years as President. We all know his decision to no longer seek re-election was extremely difficult and carefully considered.
The Biden/Harris Administration has been extraordinarily accomplished in times when it seems to be harder than ever to get anything done in Congress. The Biden/Harris administration saw us through the COVID-19 pandemic and funded critical recovery programs with the American Rescue Plan, they passed the first federal gun control legislation in 28 years with the Safer Communities Act, passed the Respect for Marriage Act to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial marriages, signed several executive orders protecting abortion access, and approved billions of dollars in student loan forgiveness.
The Santa Barbara County Democratic Party is the local chapter of the national Democratic Party and we must await the Democratic National Committee’s process to select our Party nominee at the Democratic National Convention next month. As soon as we have our nominee, we will be doing our part to ensure the defeat of Donald Trump and Project 2025. As we all go through this period of uncertainty it is critical that we all recommit ourselves to this work because it will truly take all of us to protect our democracy.
Fortunately, our South County Vice Chair, David Atkins, is an incumbent DNC member and I’ve asked him to make a brief statement about what we can expect in the coming month. —Darcél Elliott
Message from Vice Chair and DNC Delegate David Atkins
The Santa Barbara County Democratic Party extends its profound gratitude to President Biden for his service to our country. President Biden guided us through a very challenging time, passing highly impactful and progressive legislation through a narrowly divided Congress. He rebuilt our credibility and partnerships on the world stage, reversing Trump’s pro-dictator foreign policy that attempted to subvert liberal democracy. His administration has been one of the most successful in American history.
The difference between President Biden and Donald Trump was reflected again yesterday in his selfless decision not to seek re-election to the White House. While Donald Trump cares only for himself, his own enrichment and his own ego, Joe Biden placed the interest of America and social, economic and environmental justice ahead of his own personal ambition in passing the torch to a new generation with his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Many Democrats may now be concerned about the process by which the transition to a new nominee will occur. Rest assured that there will be an orderly and transparent process, and that the Democratic Party’s ability to fundraise and appear on the ballots of all 57 states and territories will not be jeopardized.
Per the DNC’s decision earlier this month, DNC members authorized the Rules and Bylaws Committee to establish a virtual roll call prior to the convention. The Rules and Bylaws Committee met earlier this week authorizing Chair Jaime Harrison to do so. The Chair made clear that the roll call would take place no earlier than August 1st, and conclude no later than August 5th in order to ensure no conflict with Ohio election law.
The Rules and Bylaws Committee will be meeting again on Wednesday at 2pmEST to finalize the details of the nomination process. But the general outlines are as follows: in order to appear on the ballot for nomination by the DNC, any candidate will need to meet a minimum threshold of support among the delegates. At this time it is clear that Vice President Harris will meet that threshold; it is not clear if any others will do so. Vice President Harris has also received an overwhelming degree of support from Democratic leaders and DNC delegates across the nation, including my own personal endorsement.
Still, a fair, transparent and orderly election process will take place in accordance with democratic principles and DNC bylaws. Pledged delegates will be free to choose from among the candidates, but are obligated to vote their conscience in a way that best reflects the intentions of the voters who elected them. Should no candidate win a majority on the second ballot, further rounds of voting will take place until a candidate receives a majority.
If a candidate receives a majority of pledged delegates at the virtual roll call on the first ballot, that candidate will become the Democratic nominee. Automatic delegates (formerly so-called “superdelegates”) will only be allowed to vote on the first ballot if their votes cannot possibly overturn those of the pledged delegates. Should no candidate receive a majority, then a second ballot will be voted on by all delegates, both pledged and unpledged.
The nominee will appoint a Vice-Presidential candidate to be their running mate, and they will appear on all state and territorial ballots.
We look forward to the selection of a new nominee with a full commitment to defeat Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans from the top of the ballot to our own local communities here in Santa Barbara County. And we once again extend our deepest gratitude to President Biden for his selflessness and tremendous work on behalf of America and the world.