Kamala Harris endorses Gavin Newsom for California governor

California Sen. Kamala Harris (D) on Friday endorsed the state’s Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in the race for governor ahead of next week’s California Democratic convention in San Diego.

Harris made the endorsement at a Newsom campaign event, according to The Associated Press, predicting the progressive Democrat would “lead with courage” as the state’s next governor.

“It is an amazing journey Kamala and I have been on as friends going back decades,” Newsom said in response to Harris’s endorsement.

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Harris served as district attorney of San Francisco when Newsom was mayor, and he endorsed her 2016 bid to fill the seat held by retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer (D). Harris, 53, is also widely considered a potential 2020 presidential contender.

Newsom is running to replace his current boss, California Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who is in his last year in office. He enters the Democratic primary field with plenty in the bank after raising over $10 million in 2017 — more than primary rivals state Treasurer John Chiang and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The lieutenant governor will also face a third primary challenger in Amanda Renteria, the former national political director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign who filed this week to run for California governor.