Harris’s visit to Pittsfield was planned before President Joe Biden’s decision to end his re-election campaign and endorse her as the nominee, amplifying the already rare spectacle of a high wattage national politico in Berkshire County.
“It's very exciting for the region, it's very exciting for the nation. So, this had been in some form in the works, I think, since, since January or February, and for whatever reason, kept getting delayed, and as it turned out, wow, boy, did we luck out that it got delayed," said Democratic State Senator Paul Mark represents the Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire District. “I knew this was going to happen before President Biden had made his announcement, and there weren't a lot of details, but we knew the Vice President was coming to town. And as far as I can remember, I don't remember the last time a sitting Vice President was in Berkshire County. So just that, in and of itself, I think, is excitement. And then when President Biden made his announcement, and now it looks pretty clear that Vice President Harris is going to be the Democratic nominee, and in her first week of campaigning, she's going to be here.”
While Mark wasn’t among the chorus of Democrats calling for Biden to step down, he says he welcomes the president’s admission that he had reached the end of his political career.
“I think it's also a signal to people that if you're an elected official and you've been in a long time, and maybe the torch needs to be passed, maybe you should start thinking about that," he told WAMC. "And I think that's been a frustration for people my age and younger, that a lot of people like to be in office for a very long time, and while they may or may not be doing good things, they stick around. And people of all types, including based on age, like to see some elected officials that look like them. So, I think this will be a good thing, and hopefully the start of a new era in politics.”
Fellow Democrat State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier, who represents Pittsfield on Beacon Hill, says she’s excited to see Harris replace Biden on top of the ticket.
“I’m not only welcoming it, I asked for it," she said. "I felt, and I feel very strongly that she is the most prepared to be president. She has the background to do this work to defeat Donald Trump and take office and take the next step in this country healing after the disasters of the Trump presidency and the pandemic.”
Other Massachusetts Democrats are lining up to support Harris ahead of next month’s national convention.
“Well, I think it's a it's a jolt of energy. You can see that in in the reporting of the rally she had, the way that she was so warmly and enthusiastically received when she went by the campaign headquarters to thank the folks who were who are doing the hard work every day, and encouraging others to do so, and showing her acknowledging that that work and encouraging them to keep going," said former Democratic Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, one of the hosts of Saturday’s fundraiser. “Just here in the Berkshires, we were sold out before the President made his announcement. We knew that the surrogate the President was sending was the Vice President, but you can imagine, it’s just dialed up to a fever pitch since then. And I'm really, really glad that she is keeping the commitment and coming to Pittsfield, because I think small towns like Pittsfield all over the country, they rarely get the glitter from a presidential candidate showing up, and it's really important for folks in every corner of the of the country to understand that this is a leader and this will be an administration that sees them and hears them and is not just paying attention to them at election time, but is working in partnership to make lives better in between elections.”
The sold-out fundraiser will feature James Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, and Heather Cox Richardson alongside Harris.
So far, the location and time of the event have not been announced other than a message to attendees to be in Pittsfield mid-afternoon.
Leftist groups including the Berkshire Democratic Socialists of America and Anti-Imperialist Solidarity are holding a “Dems Have Blood on Their Hands” rally in Park Square at noon that day to protest the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s bloody military campaign in Gaza.
