Maine delegates to the Democratic National Convention voted unanimously Monday evening to support Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid for president.
Just hours later, the Harris campaign announced that she had enough support to become the presumptive nominee.
“I am grateful to President Biden and everyone in the Democratic Party who has already put their faith in me, and I look forward to taking our case directly to the American people,” she wrote.
The Maine Democratic Party announced the vote on X, writing that the delegates voted “to endorse her candidacy to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.”
Maine has 32 delegates expected to attend the convention next month in Chicago, eight of which are top-tier party leaders called superdelegates. They will only cast ballots if it takes more than one round of voting to choose a nominee.
Not long after Monday night’s vote, Maine House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland), one of the superdelegates, wrote on X that President Joe Biden’s “selfless decision not to seek re-election and endorse Vice President Harris” showed his dedication to the country.
“This campaign will continue to unite Americans across all divides and furthers the Democratic values of justice, equality and opportunity for all,” she wrote. “Kamala Harris represents the future of our party and our country. I stand with her because she stands for us all.”
Just last week, Talbot Ross and Gov. Janet Mills launched Women for Biden-Harris in Maine, a part of a national program designed to engage women in the presidential race.
But Biden’s decision on Sunday to drop out left convention delegates in Maine and elsewhere free to support any candidate of their choosing. Prior to the Monday meeting, some delegates said they needed more information about Harris before making a decision, others were already in full support and others said they wanted to check with fellow delegates on the best path forward.
Shortly before the meeting, Maine Democratic Party Chairwoman Bev Uhlenhake, who will serve as chair of the Maine delegation, posted her support for Harris on X.
“We need a strong leader who will fight for working families, for a strong economy, and for a safer future for all of us,” she wrote.