WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris thanked President Joe Biden for his endorsement after the president announced he would end his reelection campaign, opening up a hole at the top of the Democratic ticket four months before the election.
In a written statement, issued hours after Biden announced his decision, Harris praised his accomplishments and touched on her personal connection to the president. She said she first got to know Biden through his late son, Beau, whom she served as an attorney general alongside.
Harris is not automatically the de facto Democratic nominee, despite being Biden's running mate. In her statement, Harris said "my intention is to earn and win this nomination." Delegates are expected to select a Democratic presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention next month.
If she is selected as the nominee and wins in November, Harris would be the first female president and the second Black president to lead the U.S .
Read Kamala Harris' full statement here:
"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."