Democrats of Smith County gather on the Tyler square Aug. 14 in support of Kamala Harris in her bid for president. (Contributed Photo)

Democrats of Smith County recently gathered to celebrate the selection of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. Her running mate is Minnesota governor and former teacher, Tim Walz.

Delegates from across the nation enthusiastically participated in the electronic roll call vote held Aug. 1-5. Following a tabulation of the 4,567 ballots, Jason Rae, Secretary for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, announced the results, declared, and certified that Harris was chosen as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, receiving 99% of the votes cast.

Nancy and Mike Nichols, Tyler residents, are Congressional District 1 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. They said they received their ballots and voted right away, after having consulted with constituents across CD1. A celebratory vote will be in-person at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which concluded Friday in Chicago, Illinois.

The local Democrats said women across the country donned Chucks and pearls to draw attention to Harris, the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first person of South Asian ancestry in U.S. history to assume the role of vice-president. The local Democrats added that since JD Vance once called her a “childless cat lady,” it began a light-hearted and widespread movement in support of Harris.

“Democrats in Smith County are part of the network of pet lovers who support Harris — and cats — in this spirited presidential campaign,” Nancy Nichols said.