Two of the top Democrats in Congress — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer — publicly endorsed Kamala Harris for president on Tuesday. The endorsements from Schumer and Jeffries come a day after Harris clinched support from the majority of pledged delegates for the Democratic convention.
Schumer and Jeffries made the announcement at a press conference, with Schumer telloing reporters: “We are brimming with excitement, enthusiasm, unity .. [Harris] has done a truly impressive job securing the majority of delegates needed to win the Democratic Party’s nomination. 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.”
Jeffries echoed Schumer, adding that said he was “proud to strongly endorse” Harris for the White House, adding that Harris “is ready, willing and able to lead us into the future.”
Schumer said he and Jeffries had spoken to Harris by phone, sharing: “When I spoke with her Sunday, she said she wanted the opportunity to win the nomination on her own and to do so from the grassroots up, not top-down. We deeply respected that, Hakeem and I did. 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.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., endorsed Harris on Monday, joining other top Democrats including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and multiple governors who have been mentioned as potential rivals to Harris for a presidential run.
The vote to make Harris the party’s official nominee for president will happen in early August ahead of the party’s convention.
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