Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’s White House bid.
The San Fransisco Democrat, who remains highly influential in her party, on July 19 gave her support for the vice president, “with immense pride and limitless optimism for our country’s future.”
“Officially, I have seen Kamala Harris’s strength and courage as a champion for working families, notably fighting for a woman’s right to choose,” Ms. Pelosi said in a statement. “Personally, I have known Kamala Harris for decades as rooted in strong values, faith and a commitment to public service.”
“Politically, make no mistake: Kamala Harris as a woman in politics is brilliantly astute—and I have full confidence that she will lead us to victory in November.”
The endorsement was made a day after President Joe Biden stepped out of the race and backed his vice president for the nation’s top office. Several prominent Democrats offered praise for the president in their statements reacting to the news, but stopped short of immediately supporting his preferred successor.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), and former President Barack Obama have all applauded President Biden for the decision to not seek a second term, but have not yet endorsed Ms. Harris.
However, the newly formed Harris presidential campaign did pick up endorsements from Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the No. 2 Democrat in the upper chamber, as well as House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In her first public appearance since becoming a presidential candidate, Ms. Harris spoke on the South Lawn of the White House at an event for collegiate sports championship teams. She didn’t specifically address her candidacy, but focused on President Biden’s term in office.
“In one term, he has already surpassed the legacy of most presidents who have served two terms in office,” she said.
In a post on X, Ms. Harris said she is next heading to Wilmington, Delaware, where the Biden campaign is headquartered, “to say ‘hello’ to our staff.'”
Hours after President Biden’s announcement on July 21, the Biden presidential campaign filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to formally rename itself “Harris for President.” The change marks one of the first steps to allow the vice president to assume control of a campaign war chest amounting to tens of millions of dollars.
Meanwhile, the Democratic National Convention’s Rules Committee will meet July 24 to determine the nominating process. The formal convention, where delegates gather to cast their votes, will kick off on Aug. 19 in Chicago.
The largest state in the nation, California wields an enormous influence on the summer convention. Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, has encouraged the state’s 496 delegates to endorse Ms. Harris.
