California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), seen as a top contender for a spot on the Democratic ticket, threw his support behind Vice President Harris’s bid for president.
“Tough. Fearless. Tenacious,” Newsom wrote on the social platform X.
“With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President, @KamalaHarris,” Newsom continued.
Harris, who previously represented California in the U.S. Senate, is seen as the party favorite to replace President Biden at the top of the ticket — following Biden’s historic announcement on Sunday that he would no longer seek the party’s nomination at the convention next month.
Some Democrats have expressed interest in an open convention — a competitive race between numerous candidates trying to win the support of the party delegates. Many others, however, have thrown their support immediately behind Harris, seen as heir apparent as the vice president on the ticket.
Biden has endorsed Harris’s bid, while former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) have stopped short of doing so.
Newsom has been one of Biden’s top supporters and surrogates on the campaign trail. He has repeatedly said he would not run for president if Biden were to leave the race. He first said in 2022 that he would not run for president in 2024.