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By Courtney Pedersen, Staff writerAug 5, 2024
Beaumont Enterprise
When President Joe Biden announced he is no longer running for reelection, Jefferson County resident Beverly Hatcher cried.
“I prayed and I just wanted him to hold out and keep going, because why would you not want somebody with season, knowledge, wisdom,” Hatcher said. “He’s shown us his skill. He’s shown us how to be a president of the United States. Why would you not want that?”
However for Hatcher, who has been preparing since June for her fourth Democratic National Convention, there was another layer to Biden dropping out.
Just days before, she had received a call from the Texas Democratic Party letting her know that since she was one of 20 alternate delegates going to the Democratic National Convention. Ultimately, she was chosen as a replacement for a Dallas voting delegate that had to drop out.
As Biden dropped and the next steps were unveiled, Hatcher became one of 3,950 delegates — the only one from Jefferson County — who get to decide the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
“It feels very nostalgic, and it feels like a lot of responsibility, because we’re doing something that has never been done in the history of the United States, and that is to nominate a woman to become president of the U.S.,” Hatcher said. “So, that’s a big responsibility because there’s two sides. I feel really proud to be able to be a part of the system.”
Although the Democratic National Convention is not until Aug. 19, most of the delegate voting will be completed beforehand.
“Now all delegates like me have gone through a security clearance. The word is we have been 'certified,'” Hatcher said. “So, as a certified delegate… all the communication is done by text messaging or emails… The ballots come in the form of electronic PDF, because in the certifying security process, you had to put your electronic signature in.”
In fact, Hatcher cast her ballot by Friday morning and by the afternoon, Vice President Kamala Harris already earned enough votes to be the Democratic nominee for the 2024 Presidential Election.
Hatcher was one of those votes for Harris, which she says comes from her love for Joe Biden.
Hatcher said the job is even more exciting as Harris could become the first female President of the United States.
“I can remember, and somebody showed it the other day, how beautiful (Clinton) did her speech, letting us know that she had lost to her opponents,” Hatcher said. “But, I was head over heels for Hillary, so now they have to a Black like myself there, woo!”
While Harris was the only one on the ballot for the potential Democratic nominee, she has yet to declare a running mate. However, the Associated Press named Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly “front runners” for the position.
Hatcher said she hopes Harris will choose Kelly, because he knows combat and is married to a gun control activist. Kelly is married to former U.S. Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was shot on Jan. 8, 2011 along with 18 others during a constituent meeting held in a supermarket parking lot in the Tucson, Arizona metropolitan area.
“He has military background (and) being an astronaut, when you read all of his credentials and stuff, it’s top notch,” Hatcher said.
But Giffords' past and presence would help remind the country that action on gun control must be taken.
By the Democratic National Convention in a couple weeks, voting will be complete and Harris will have named a running mate.
Hatcher said she is anticipating the trip to the convention in Chicago to be a celebration.
“I expect the celebration will start in the airport,” Hatcher said.
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