Vice President Kamala Harris released a statement Sunday after President Joe Biden sent shockwaves across the nation, dropping out of the 2024 presidential race and throwing his support behind her.
“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country," she began. "His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office.
Her statement comes hours after Biden released a letter saying he is stepping aside from the presidential race.
“It has been the greatest honor of my lift to serve as your president,” he wrote. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
Biden said he will speak to the nation later this week “in more detail about my decision.”
In the moments after his announcement, Biden - as expected - threw his endorsement behind Harris, writing on social media, "...Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this."
Among the potential candidates, the former U.S. Senator from California was considered best positioned to replace him.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination," Harris said.
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Read Kamala Harris' full statement
“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office.
“It is a profound honor to serve as his Vice President, and I am deeply grateful to the President, Dr. Biden, and the entire Biden family. I first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states. As we worked together, Beau would tell me stories about his Dad. The kind of father—and the kind of man—he was. And the qualities Beau revered in his father are the same qualities, the same values, I have seen every single day in Joe’s leadership as President: His honesty and integrity. His big heart and commitment to his faith and his family. And his love of our country and the American people.
“With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. “We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
What this means for Harris
Biden’s decision to endorse Harris is not a binding one, as Democratic Party rules don’t allow him to simply select a successor in the role as nominee when delegates gather in Chicago.
But it does hold weight.
Harris would have a head start over several of the most discussed Democratic alternatives. She's already been on a winning presidential ticket with Biden, has years of goodwill banked with core party constituencies and would likely control a huge campaign fund amassed by the Biden reelection.
Harris is the first woman to serve as vice president as well as the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to serve in the office. At this week's Republican convention, speakers have frequently criticized not just Biden but Harris, warming up talking points for the person seen as the most likely to step into Biden's place.
READ: President Joe Biden's full letter on not seeking reelection
A number of delegates have already suggested they'd be loyal to Harris.
“Harris makes the most sense to carry on the Biden legacy,” said Andrew Feldman, a Democratic strategist who works closely with various state parties.
In an interview earlier this week, Feldman added the Biden administration's agenda "has been tremendously popular in terms of the issues that they've championed" and the president and Harris have "been doing that in partnership."
A recent poll, conducted prior to Biden's announcement, from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Kamala Harris would do a good job in the top slot. About 2 in 10 Democrats don't believe she would, and another 2 in 10 say they don't know enough to say.
Alvin Tillery, director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy at Northwestern University and a Democratic pollster, previously said Harris is the only candidate with the name recognition required to compete against Trump.
"[Of the] five other successor candidates, only one has the name recognition to win nationally: Kamala Harris," Tillery told NBC Chicago.
