New York’s state delegates vote to support Kamala Harris at DNC

During a virtual meeting Monday night, nearly all of New York’s 307 delegates to the Democratic National Convention voted to support Vice President Kamala Harris, multiple delegates on the call told City & State. The support of New York’s delegates puts her closer to the threshold that she needs to officially clinch the Democratic presidential nomination.

More than 250 people were on the Zoom call when the delegation held an informal vote to unofficially endorse Harris for president. According to attendees, they voted unanimously to support the vice president at the upcoming DNC, with one describing the vote as “enthusiastically unanimous.”

The state Democratic Party confirmed the vote in a statement released shortly after it took place. “The New York State Democratic Delegation stands behind Vice President Harris and is excited to cast our votes for her at the Democratic Nominating Convention,” party Chair Jay Jacobs said. Gov. Kathy Hochul also said in a statement that she is “proud of New York’s delegation for joining me to support Vice President Harris.”

New York’s delegation of 307 delegates includes 268 pledged delegates who are eligible to vote on the first ballot at the convention. If Harris wins at least 1,976 votes in that first round, she would win the Democratic presidential nomination outright. An unofficial survey of delegates by the Associated Press found that Harris had the support of at least 1,640 pledged delegates, not including New York’s delegation, prior to the vote. With the support of New York’s 268 pledged delegates, Harris had the support of at least 1,908 delegates – putting her fewer than 100 delegates away from securing the nomination in the first round of voting. Shortly after the New York vote, California’s delegation held its own vote, where its more than 400 delegates unanimously pledged to support Harris. That put her well over the 1,976 vote threshold needed to secure the nomination.

If Harris somehow fails to reach 1,976 votes in the first round, then New York’s other 39 delegates would come into place. They are “automatic” delegates, also known as “superdelegates,” who can only vote if no candidate gets enough support the first time around.

During Monday night’s call, Hochul told delegates, “One of the best things (Biden) ever did is to select his vice president,” according to a source that attended. Other speakers included Jacobs, state Attorney General Letitia James, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins – who endorsed Harris earlier in the day in an interview with City & State – and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. 

Rep. Grace Meng, who expressed her displeasure with how she felt some Democrats had pushed President Joe Biden out, also gave remarks to delegates at the meeting. Meng said there was “a concerted effort not just to have Biden withdraw, but to have Kamala Harris withdraw,” according to a person on the call, but she thanked those who joined for pushing back on the narrative. Two sources said she also thanked Heastie for outreach to AAPI communities.

Delegates quickly began taking to social media to celebrate the unanimous vote to back Harris. “As a New York delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, I’m proud to have just voted along with the entire delegation to endorse @KamalaHarris as the Democratic nominee to be the next President of the United States,” wrote state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal on X.

Hochul told reporters earlier on Monday that she planned to convene a meeting of delegates in order to shore up support for Harris in New York. She also sent a letter to delegates before the meeting asking for their support. “In the coming days and weeks, the Vice President plans to win the support of as many pledged delegates as possible,” Hochul wrote in the letter, which was shared with City & State. “I’m asking you to join me in my support for Vice President Harris and for all of us to unite and work together to defeat Donald Trump.” She also called Harris the best-prepared person to “prosecute the case against Donald Trump.”

New York’s delegates include a variety of party loyalists, elected officials, labor leaders and others involved with Democratic politics across the state.

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention will formally cast virtual votes to select a presidential nominee by Aug. 7, though the Democratic National Convention will not take place until Aug. 19.