(Colorado Newsline) Colorado Democrats during a virtual meeting Monday expressed near-unanimous support for Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee for president.

The informal meeting, meant to gauge support for Harris, came a day after President Joe Biden announced he would end his reelection campaign. It included members of the party’s State Central Committee, a governing body that comprises more than 600 people, and delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

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“As a 27-year-old, I look to Kamala Harris as a beacon of hope and inspiration. Her dedication to justice, equality and the protection of fundamental rights resonates deeply with me and many others in my generation,” Harrison Wendt, a Democrat from La Plata County, said during the meeting. “Endorsing Kamala Harris is not just about supporting a candidate. It’s about endorsing a vision for a better, more equitable future.”

More than 300 people joined the video call, and roughly 40 spoke. Almost every speaker voiced enthusiastic support for Harris, and none expressed support for an alternative candidate. One speaker, Jerad Sutton, suggested it was improper for the central committee to endorse a candidate. But the party’s Rules Committee chair, Josh Trupin, explained that party bylaws did not preclude the kind of post-primary straw poll “to gauge the mood” that party officials had organized.

Party officials distributed a “Presidential Endorsement Poll” for members of the central committee and a “Colorado Delegation Straw Poll” for DNC delegates. Respondents were given until 5:00 p.m. Tuesday to complete the poll. But the state party’s chairman, Shad Murib, said preliminary results could be released earlier.

The meeting was weighted toward Harris in every way. The poll asks respondents to endorse a 2024 Democratic presidential nominee and offers two choices, Kamala Harris or “other.” The meeting kicked off with presentations from Governor Jared Polis and U.S. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, both Democrats who made forceful pitches for Harris.

There's a renewal in my spirit, and I think we should all proceed with confidence … Let's get Kamala Harris elected president of the United States.

– James Reyes, chair of the Denver Democrats

But it appeared Democrats from across Colorado who joined the call did not need to be persuaded.

“I’ve never been more excited in my life,” said Allison Cotton, who said she served as a national delegate for former President Barack Obama. She noted she is a graduate of Howard University, Harris’ alma mater. “We’ve already got millions of people behind her.”

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Speakers cited many reasons for endorsing Harris, including her support of labor causes, LGBTQ rights, and reproductive health care. Some also said they liked the idea of a former prosecutor running against a convicted felon, former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee. Harris’ pathbreaking qualities — she could be the first Black woman to be nominated for president by a major party — were also cited favorably several times.

“Listen, as a Brown guy with a Spanish last name who’s gay and married to an immigrant, I’m frightened of a Trump presidency,” said James Reyes, chair of the Denver Democrats. “There’s a renewal in my spirit, and I think we should all proceed with confidence … Let’s get Kamala Harris elected president of the United States.”

Questions about Biden’s viability as a candidate gained urgency after a disastrous June 27 debate performance against former Trump.

Top Democratic office-holders from Colorado, including every Democratic member of the state’s congressional delegation, quickly lined up to endorse Harris after Biden’s announcement. Besides support from Polis and Colorado members of Congress, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and Attorney General Phil Weiser have endorsed Harris.

The Democratic National Committee is planning a process to formally nominate a presidential candidate through a virtual roll call vote ahead of the convention, which starts August 19.

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Follow Colorado Newsline on Facebook and X.