Vice President Kamala Harris further solidified her support base on Tuesday with the endorsements of the top-ranking Democrats in the House and Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) made the announcement in a joint press conference on Capitol Hill.
“Now that the process has played out from the grassroots, bottom-up, we are here today to throw our support behind Vice President Kamala Harris,” Schumer said.
Jeffries said he is “proud to strongly endorse” Harris. He added, “We’re going to hold the Senate, we’re going to win the House, we’re going to elect Kamala Harris as our next president.”
President Joe Biden Biden announced on Sunday that he was exiting the 2024 race and endorsed Harris to take on former President Donald Trump as the Democratic Party’s nominee.
Allies had been applying intense pressure on Biden, 81, to drop out after a fumbling debate performance late last month spurred concerns about his mental acuity and electability.
“President Biden’s selfless decision has given the Democratic Party to unite behind a new nominee, and boy oh boy are we enthusiastic,” Schumer said on Tuesday.
Schumer said he and Jeffries “deeply respected” how Harris told them she wanted “the opportunity to win the nomination on her own and to do so from the grassroots-up, not top-down.”
Harris has gathered the support of enough delegates to win the nomination, although the process remains open, and another challenger could emerge before voting begins next month.
High-profile members of the party, such as House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), have endorsed Harris. However, former President Barack Obama has not yet made an endorsement.
Schumer said Harris has “done a truly impressive job” winning over delegates and noted how the “vast majority of my senators quickly and enthusiastically endorsed her.”
“Team Harris” raised a record $81 million in the first 24 hours since Harris began running for the presidency, her campaign said in a statement on Monday.
NBC News reported that Harris’ campaign has requested vetting materials from potential running mates, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ). The others were reported to be Governors Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Tim Walz of Minnesota.
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