Kamala Harris shores up support as potential rivals show their cards

Fresh off President Joe Biden’s endorsement to be his successor, Vice President Kamala Harris is working to shore up critical support in her bid to be the 47th president of the United States.

Harris has moved quickly to lock up the backing of critical power brokers in the Democratic Party, according to multiple reports that suggest she has eyed Capitol Hill leaders first. Perhaps most important of all, however, has been Harris’s support from governors who were, as recently as Saturday, rumored to be challengers for the Oval Office.

Govs. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO), and Roy Cooper (D-NC) have all endorsed Harris in the wake of Biden’s historic withdrawal. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), long considered a future presidential candidate, also said she would not challenge Harris for the nomination.

SIX PEOPLE KAMALA HARRIS COULD CHOOSE AS HER RUNNING MATE

There are still challenges to Harris’s quest to consolidate control. She has not received an endorsement from three of the most powerful congressional Democrats: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), although Schumer did speak with Harris on Sunday, a source familiar told the Washington Examiner.

Nor did former President Barack Obama issue an endorsement, instead appearing content to let a “process” play out to give Democrats the best chance of defeating Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in November.

Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) is considering a run for the Democratic nomination, the Washington Examiner learned, which could deliver a centrist challenge to Harris at an inopportune time. And conservatives have threatened legal action to challenge Biden’s withdrawal from the ticket. It remains unclear how serious such threats could be to Harris given that she was Biden’s running mate all along.

However, by all accounts, Harris’s goal to “earn and win” the nomination appears to be off to a strong start. All 50 Democratic Party state chairs have backed her, according to Reuters. Harris has also reportedly secured the support of three key congressional coalitions: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA) of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) of the New Democrat Coalition.

At least 60 current and former Democratic National Committee members also circulated a letter on Sunday urging delegates to throw their weight behind the vice president. Other rising Democratic stars such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg have also endorsed Harris.

And while Biden faced fundraising concerns in the final days of his campaign, Harris is being greeted by the opposite. Progressive donation platform ActBlue announced it had raised over $46 million in the first 5 hours of her campaign.

Harris and her allies will still surely seek the endorsements of other party leaders, such as Schumer, Obama, and DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison. But if Biden hoped for the party to quickly coalesce around Harris after his announcement, he would likely be pleased with the initial results.

The Democratic National Convention will begin in less than a month and take place from Aug. 19-22. It will be there that the party’s official nominee will be chosen, and whether it is Harris or someone else, intrigue will skyrocket about who their vice presidential pick will be. Shapiro’s and Cooper’s names have been floated, among many others.

The frenetic presidential campaign cycle reached a fever pitch on Sunday when Biden announced he would not continue his campaign for reelection. He does intend, however, to finish out his term.