well President Biden rocked the nation when he announced on social media yesterday that he was dropping out of the presidential race shortly after that he endorsed vice president Kamala Harris as the party's nominee saying quote it's time to come together and beat Trump now the switch up comes after weeks of pressure from democratic leaders including some here in New Jersey for Biden to step aside after his poor debate performance against former president Donald Trump but this shakeup has Democrats in New Jersey reinvigorated about their chances in November from the top of the ticket down senior correspondent Brenda Flanigan spoke to politicians and pundits today around the state to get their reactions and their thoughts on what comes next I'm excited I'm excited for the country that we have a strong candidate again Bonnie Watson Coleman joined Jersey Congressional Democrats in praising President Joe Biden's historic decision Sunday to exit the race most also promis to follow the president president's lead and support camela Harris at the top of their party's ticket she spoke briefly this morning during an event at the White House Joe Biden fights for the American people and we are deeply deeply grateful for his service to our nation Harris said in a statement Sunday my intention is to earn and win this nomination the move seamlessly shifted Biden's campaign organization and War Chester Harris and it'll Galvanize voters whose support for reelecting the president had slipped flipped in the polls says the head of Jersey Democratic State committee with vice president Harris I think that uh recalibrates uh you know that level of enthusiasm and uh you know you're going to see uh you know African-Americans energized you're going to see women energized uh you know you're going to see you know South Asians energize what New Jersey likes is a good fighter uh you couldn't ask for a better fighter than the vice president I was on a call last night 44,000 women were on that call that was amazing and everyone was talking about how excited and committed and how much more they're going to do than they've done before how we're going to make this happen Watson Coleman's delighted to see the first woman of color lead her party's campaign for the Oval Office and hailed Harris as a champion for Reproductive Rights but the congresswoman admitted Grassroots folks who had stuck by Joe Biden did resent the behind the-scenes power play to push him out we were concerned that it was about the the money folks the so-called Elites time was short you were facing a guy who didn't want to have these conversations so it was a hard thing to do it was an unseemly probably very uncomfortable thing to do but those conversations needed to happen Senator Corey Booker wrote I cannot overstate the gravity of the noble and history making decision that President Biden just made the feeling that I have right now is one of profound gratitude ude Biden's exit restored a gusher of campaign cash Democrats raised more than 50 million Sunday the biggest day Hall ever online with 150 million more pledged from major donors to round out the ticket news media floated a list of potential vice presidents including Booker and Governor Murphy who called Harris today no news to make on my side other than I love being governor of New Jersey and my heads down and doing everything I can to get that ticket what ever the ticket may be what's next for Joe Biden he posted on X he's decided to focus all my energies on my duties as president for the remainder of my term Republicans fumed speaker Mike Johnson called on Biden to step down stating if Joe Biden's not fit to run for president he's not fit to serve as president he must resign the office immediately he's very capable of managing things uh he enjoys the respect of his staff he's well staffed uh and I think it would be disrupt if he were to uh to step down now in New Jersey analysts believe Harris at top the ticket will also benefit Democrats down ballot including Andy Kim whose odds just improved in New Jersey senate race or incumbent Bob Menendez apparently still plans to run as an independent he's been silent on Harris assuming that she can excite the base she can turn out black voters Hispanic voters who are probably going to be excited about having somebody of color running on the ticket um I I I believe that this puts New Jersey probably very much back into its um traditional form but Harris faces a very short Runway to the nomination around 130 New Jersey delegates in the June primary pledge to back Biden they'll meet tonight to discuss whether to switch their votes in a meeting called by Jones I think at the the close of that we'll have a a keen sense of uh the direction that New Jersey will take he says Democrats still plan an online delegate tally next week ahead of the August convention I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight News [Music]