As President Joe Biden‘s reelection campaign flamed out earlier this month, several Democrats declined to appear alongside the president, but with Vice President Kamala Harris moving to the top of the Democratic ticket, many of those Democrats are returning to appear alongside their presumptive presidential nominee.
As Biden fell in the polls, several Democratic officials in key states, many facing tough reelection battles, distanced themselves from the president, but now that Harris is rebounding some of the polls, many Democrats have appeared alongside or in support of Harris.
Here are three Democrats who have embraced Harris after shunning Biden.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Baldwin is one of the most vulnerable senators up for reelection in November, and she opted not to appear alongside Biden during a campaign event at the beginning of July.
Less than two weeks after the disastrous debate, Baldwin cited a scheduling conflict as the reason she could not attend Biden’s event in Madison, Wisconsin. Baldwin’s absence was speculated to be related to Biden’s falling poll numbers, but her campaign denied that assessment.
After Harris took Biden’s spot at the top of the ticket, Baldwin appeared alongside Harris at an event in Wisconsin last week.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)
Whitmer, a co-chairwoman for Biden’s campaign and now Harris’s campaign, had been a fierce supporter of Biden and did not publicly call for him to step aside, but she was absent from a campaign event in the Great Lakes State on July 12. The Michigan governor, alongside both Democratic senators, was among the absences from the event as calls for Biden to drop out of the race intensified.
After Harris was elevated to the top of the ticket, Whitmer endorsed the vice president and stumped for Harris in New Hampshire — a key state for her presidential bid.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)
Slotkin is vying for the Senate seat held by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in one of the most competitive Senate races of this cycle.
Alongside other vulnerable Democrats, Slotkin kept some distance from Biden, especially after the president’s June debate performance. Slotkin was among the Democratic absences for Biden’s July 12 event.
Since Harris took over the top of the ticket, Slotkin has not appeared alongside Harris but did share that the “energy” around Harris was “palpable.” Slotkin is one of the vulnerable Democrats touting the energy toward Harris’s campaign.
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While many Democrats in swing states have embraced Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee, several have not come home to Harris.
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), who is one of the few Senate Democratic incumbents running in a Republican-heavy state, has not endorsed Harris as he fights for his political life in November.
