WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign has Kentucky Democrats rallying behind Vice President Kamala Harris and Republicans pushing back, with barely 100 days until the election.

What You Need To Know

  • Kentucky Democrats are rallying behind Vice President Kamala Harris while some Republicans are pushing back

  • Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, said the party is unified behind Harris as the new Democratic presidential nominee

  • However, Rep. James Comer, R-Tompkinsville, is questioning President Joe Biden's fitness to serve out his term

  • As the country awaits Harris' pick, Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., is keeping himself in the national spotlight with multiple TV appearances 

Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, Kentucky’s only Democrat in Congress, said the party is unified behind Harris as the new Democratic presidential nominee.

“She is already pulling the party together in ways that we haven't seen in quite some time,” McGarvey said July 23. “She's got incredible momentum. She's giving some great speeches right off the bat, pulling people together. I think she's going to do an awesome job.”

McGarvey was among the growing number of Democrats late last week who called on Biden to end his campaign, which he did July 21. 

“I think what President Biden did is show what an amazing person he is, what a selfless leader he is and he did what he’s always done; he put the country before himself,” said McGarvey.

Rep. James Comer, R-Tompkinsville, spent more than a year leading an investigation into Biden and his family’s business dealings without reaching an impeachment vote.

Following Biden’s decision to bow out, he said he's questioning the president’s fitness to serve out his term.

“One of the big issues today is, obviously, if Joe Biden’s not well enough to finish a campaign, is he well enough to serve as president? I think that’s a question that’s going to be debated on the floor,” Comer said July 22.

In a social media post, Rep. Andy Barr, R-Lexington, wrote, “It's clear that if President Biden is unfit to seek re-election, he is equally unfit to continue serving as our Commander in Chief for the balance of his term.”

Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., who has been floated as a potential VP contender, is keeping himself in the national spotlight with TV news appearances as the country awaits Harris’ pick.

In an appearance July 22 on CNN, Beshear was asked if Harris had mentioned anything about having him potentially serve as her running mate. The governor replied, “Well, I’m going to keep any of the details of that call personal, but what she did is she called and asked for my support and I willingly gave it.”

McGarvey said Harris should consider Beshear to be her running mate, arguing his leadership, economic development record and empathetic personality would add to the Democratic Party’s ticket.

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