Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed that she will run for the Democratic nomination for president after President Biden’s decision to suspend his re-election campaign.
‘I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,’ Harris said in a statement on Sunday.
Shortly after Biden posted a letter on X revealing his intention to end his re-election bid, he sent out a separate post endorsing Harris for the Democratic nomination. ‘Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,’ he said.
The vice president called Biden’s decision a ‘selfless and patriotic act,’ adding that he is ‘doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else.’
Harris has also received endorsements from former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as several Democratic lawmakers. However, many Democrats have issued statements on Biden’s decision without making mention of Harris or endorsing her.
Democratic strategists noted to Fox News Digital that the vice president is in the best position to take on former President Trump with just months to the election. Several Democratic operatives pointed to the fact that Harris was voted for by the same primary voters that chose Biden, and she has already established a campaign and fundraising infrastructure going into the crucial contest.
Biden’s decision to step aside comes after several weeks of mounting pressure for him to do so following a poor debate performance last month against former President Trump. Before his announcement, 37 congressional Democrats and those who caucus with them had pressed Biden to drop out.
However, Biden had remained adamant that he was going to stay in the campaign up until his post to X.