Incumbent in toss-up district condemns and endorses Kamala Harris

(The Center Square) – One day after U.S. Rep. Don Davis was the only Democrat in North Carolina to vote for a resolution condemning Vice President Kamala Harris’ handling of her border assignment from the president, he gave her an endorsement.

And suggested Harris pick North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper as a running mate. Only six of 202 Democrats favored House Resolution 1371, and Davis stood out among North Carolinians because he was the only one of 14 to not toe the party line and he’s the only one with what is considered a toss-up election in November.

In his statement Friday morning, Davis wrote, “Today, I announce my endorsement and support of Vice President Kamala Harris for president. I also believe Gov. Roy Cooper, an eastern North Carolina native, would be an excellent choice for vice president. The stakes of this presidential election are incredibly high, with far-reaching implications.

“At the same time, the administration and Congress must address the concerns of the southern border. These issues cannot be overlooked. I will continue to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform, including securing the border and other issues impacting eastern North Carolina families.”

The Center Square asked how the two actions squared up, and how he concluded his opinion on each. An emailed comment in full from Davis’ Washington office to The Center Square said, “Congressman Davis stands behind his decision to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris and the need to secure the border.”

Davis is challenged by Republican Laurie Buckhout in the 1st Congressional District. A GOP win there could result, political forecasters say, in North Carolina’s 14-member delegation changing from a 7-7 split to as much as 11 Republicans and just three Democrats.

House Resolution 1371, labeled at Congress.gov as “Strongly condemning the Biden Administration and its Border Czar, Kamala Harris’s, failure to secure the United States border,” passed 220-196. Republican Rep. Richard Hudson was the only North Carolinian not to vote; for all others, Republicans were affirmative and Democrats voted nay.

Though “czar” was used in the language by lawmakers, President Joe Biden did not on the day he named her to the oversight position. In a March 24, 2021, announcement, Biden said of Harris, “I’ve asked her, the VP, today – because she’s the most qualified person to do it – to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle and the countries that help – are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border.”

Since January 2021, an estimated 12 million people have entered the country illegally, coming from more than 150 countries. Federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, have acknowledged they can’t locate millions of them, The Center Square previously reported.

Biden on Sunday made a social media post to say he was withdrawing from his race against former President Donald Trump. It was 78 hours later when he addressed the nation saying his decision was because of needing to unify his party and the nation, and to allow a younger generation to step forward.

Biden is 81 years old, Harris 59. The 67-year-old Cooper is considered one of the top three choices for Harris along with 60-year-old Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly and 51-year-old Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.