For many undecided voters, President Joe Biden’s decision to leave the race opened a new world of possibilities.

Some are Relieved

Some felt liberated by their nagging concerns that Biden had grown too old for the job. Some were holding out hope for specific candidates to replace him. Some were looking forward to hearing how Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Biden endorsed Sunday, would make her case to the American people.

“I’m curious to see what she comes up with,” said Jon Ward, 55, a police officer from Santa Clara, Utah, who said he is a registered Republican.

For months, many voters have expressed disappointment with their options in November. The question now for some of them is whether a nominee like Harris — or some Democratic wild card — might feel like the choice they have been waiting for.

Related Story: Harris Praises Biden’s ‘Unmatched’ Legacy, Looks to Lock up ...

Alexandria Gasparre, 32, a registered Republican from East Troy, Wisconsin, voted for former President Donald Trump the last two elections. But she said she would not do so again, having soured on what she said was his dangerous and divisive rhetoric.

But Gasparre did not care for Biden either. And the news that he was dropping out opened her mind to the possibility of voting Democratic, which she was not previously considering. She said she would be most likely to vote for a woman such as Harris.

But she said she was open to others, too. A fresh Democrat in the White House, she said, is something “I’m OK with,” as long as that person has “an idea of what our country is about. You know, what the people want, what people would like to have. Then I’m not going to sit here and judge.”

Undecided Voters May Not Be Convinced on Harris

For a number of undecideds, having Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket would assuage their concerns about Biden and his advanced age. But that does not necessarily mean that they are sold on her.

At his family dairy farm in Richland Center, Wisconsin, Randy Schmidt said Sunday that he had taken note of Biden’s poor performance at his recent debate against Trump and that he had tentatively planned on casting a ballot for Trump. “Some age better than others,” he said of Biden, “and it was time to move on.”

But if the Democratic nominee turns out to be Harris, a Californian, Schmidt said he would stick with Trump. He said he was not keen on electing ”a liberal from the coast.”

Related Story: With Biden Out, Vice President Kamala Harris Has a Chance to Make History Again

Matthew Dugie, a union construction worker in the Phoenix metro area, was also skeptical of Harris. He heard the news about Biden after answering a reporter’s phone call.

“What!” he said. “Wow. I think it’s a good idea,” he added, saying he did not think Biden “represents the American people.”

Dugie voted for Trump in 2020 but had soured on him and said he was reluctant to support him again this year. But that all changed with the assassination attempt last Saturday. Since then, Dugie said, he has rallied behind Trump and sees him as a stronger leader than any Democrat who might end up at the top of the ticket — including Harris.

“I’m pretty much backing Trump now,” he said.

Biden’s Exit Shakes Up Elections

Biden’s exit from the race blew up any sense of political normalcy, and in the aftermath some voters took the liberty of imagining what scenarios might follow, however far-fetched. Hilda Bourdamis of Fountain Hills, Arizona, said that she would like to see the eventual Democratic nominee name a Republican running mate.

“Just to feel like we are so united,” said Bourdamis, 63, a Lebanese immigrant and naturalized citizen who owns four clothing boutiques on the outskirts of Phoenix. “But then, the Democrats will not vote for them,” she said.

For others, the late-breaking reality surrounding the future of the Democratic Party feels not only like a fresh opportunity but also a burden. “I feel like I’m starting all over again to know a new person that’s going to be running,” said Adria Laboy, an undecided voter in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, who did not vote for Trump in either election but said she felt unsure about Democrats’ handling of inflation and the economy.

Related Story: With Biden Out, Vice President Kamala Harris Has a Chance to Make History Again

Like Laboy, Annabelle Collins, a schoolteacher in Mercedes, Texas, near the U.S.-Mexico border, said she figured she now had her work cut out for her in learning more about Harris. And she was still not enthusiastic about the choices in front of her.

Collins, 35, said she does not identify with either party, leaning conservative on immigration issues and more liberal when it comes to education. She immigrated to the United States from Venezuela when she was 8 years old. Her husband is a border control agent.

She said she was open to hearing about where Harris stands on such things. She also said she does not believe Americans are ready for a woman president, citing Hillary Clinton’s losing run against Trump in 2016.

And on a day when nothing in American politics seemed as inevitable as it had the day before, she dared to wonder whether the Democrats’ choice had to be Harris.

“I would be interested,” she said, “in seeing if there’s another option.”

–

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Richard Fausset, Dan Simmons and Christina Morales/Eric Lee
c.2024 The New York Times Company