Progressive youth voting group endorses Harris

The progressive youth voting group NextGen PAC is backing Vice President Kamala Harris for 2024, giving her bid a boost with the critical bloc, after President Biden made the unprecedented move to bow out of the running. 

“Young people will help elect the first woman president, we will defeat Donald Trump, and we will ensure that the voices of young Americans remain at the forefront of our democracy. Together, we stand ready to make history,” NextGen PAC President Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez said in a statement. 

NextGen PAC had endorsed Biden earlier this cycle, but the incumbent announced Sunday he’s stepping back from his 2024 bid and endorsing Harris to win the party nomination in his stead. The move sets Harris up as his handpicked successor, with Election Day just more than 100 days away. 

Tzintzún Ramirez, in her statement, thanked Biden for “delivering the most pro-youth agenda in American history,” but said young voters are ready for his second-in-command to take the lead. 

“Looking ahead, NextGen PAC is proud to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President. Throughout her time as Vice President, and during her time in Congress, Vice President Harris has demonstrated a commitment to fighting for the issues most important to young people,” Tzintzún Ramirez said. 

Harris faces a tight window to win the party nomination with the Democratic convention coming up next month, but she’s raked in key endorsements in the short window since the Sunday switch amid signs the Biden-Harris shake-up could reenergize young voters to turn out in November.

The pro-Biden progressive youth coalition Dream for America endorsed Harris on Sunday, and Gen-Z for Change committed to mobilizing young people for her campaign.

The vice president has already made history as the first Black and South Asian vice president, and she’d be the first woman to become commander in chief — and, at 59, she’s more than two decades younger than Biden, whose bid was plagued by concerns about his age. 

She’s also become the subject of viral memes and jokes that have juiced enthusiasm from young Americans online.

“From protecting abortion access and care, to supporting climate justice, economic justice, voting rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, Vice President Harris represents the diversity, vision, and values of young Americans. Young people remain committed to turning out in force and defeating MAGA extremism and the existential threat of Trump’s Project 2025, and we are proud to join Vice President Harris in this fight,” Tzintzún Ramirez said. 

“NextGen PAC is energized and ready to continue mobilizing young people for Kamala Harris, driving forward our shared vision for an America that stands for equality, opportunity, and justice for all.” 

NextGen PAC is the campaign arm of NextGen America, a progressive group aimed at mobilizing young voters.