All Key US Democrats Endorse Kamala Harris for President after Biden Quits Race
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Topline Democrats are lining up in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, as she vies to replace President Joe Biden as the party’s presidential nominee after he left the race Sunday.
Biden endorsed Harris shortly after announcing he would end his re-election campaign, leading a series of top Democratic officials and delegates to back the vice president.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Democrat-California), endorsed Harris in a statement released yesterday in which she praised Biden for his service and said her support for Harris was “official, personal and political”—a major endorsement as Pelosi has significant sway among Democrats.
Reps. Katherine Clark (D-Mass) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif), the second- and third-most senior House Democrats, also issued endorsements for Harris, following Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., a former member of the House Democratic leadership and a key Biden ally who helped shore up his 2020 campaign.
Several potential Biden replacements have endorsed Harris, likely easing her path to the nomination.
They include Pennsylvania Governor, Josh Shapiro; California Governor, Gavin Newsom and Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, who offered their endorsements, alongside Senator Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., North Carolina Governor, Roy Cooper and Kentucky Governor, Andy Beshear, three possible picks for Harris’ running mate.
A large group of current and former Democratic National Convention delegates—including state parties in California, North Carolina, South Carolina and New Hampshire, among others—have indicated they will support Harris during the party’s formal nomination process, Forbes reported.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton published a joint statement to X endorsing Harris, saying the two “are honoured to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her.”
The Congressional Black Caucus’ political action committee, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., and Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., released statements Sunday afternoon endorsing Harris.
Harris picked up endorsements from Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., who was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2016, along with Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
The vice president also gained the support of several House Democrats, including Reps. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Fla., Jerry Nadler, N.Y., Mark Pocan, Wisc., Ilhan Omar, Minn., Andy Kim, N.J., Ted Lieu, Calif., Abigail Spanberger, Va. and Chris Pappas, N.H.
Biden announced Sunday afternoon he would not seek re-election in November after weeks of pressure from more than 30 elected Democrats for the 81-year-old to drop out of the race .
Their calls followed his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump last month and numerous speaking gaffes, including once calling Harris “Vice President Trump.”
Soon after he released his first statement, Biden released a second endorsing Harris, who is seeing mixed results in polls against Trump, though she currently polls better than lesser-known Democrats to take Biden’s place.
But former President Barack Obama did not endorse Harris or any other candidate on Sunday, instead advocating for an open nominating process at the Democratic National Convention.
He did not mention the current vice president in his statement, instead writing that he has, “extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”
Democrats have a few weeks before they officially choose a presidential nominee.
The party’s 4,700 delegates will make their choice during a roll call vote between August 1 and August 7, including the 4,000 delegates who were previously slated to vote for Biden. The Democratic National Convention runs from August 19 until August 22.
