(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris thanked President Joe Biden for his leadership following the news Sunday that he will not continue his bid for reelection.
Her statement comes amid a growing chorus of endorsements for her candidacy in the 2024 presidential race.
“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 said in a statement released Sunday.
“His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many presidents who have served two terms in office,” she said.
Biden endorsed Harris in his statement on his exit, offering his “full support and endorsement” for her to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
At a July 11 press conference, Biden also hinted at his belief in Harris’ ability to lead, saying at the time: “I wouldn’t have picked her unless I thought she was qualified to be president.”
Former President Bill Clinton and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also endorsed Harris.
“We are honored to join the president in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her,” the two said in a statement on X.
In the House, Harris has received endorsements so far from: Rep. Jamal Bowman, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Ami Bera, Rep. Eric Swallwell, Rep. Joaquin Castro, Rep. Salud Carbajal, Rep. Dan Kildee and Rep. Haley Stevens.
In the Senate, Harris has received endorsements so far from: Sen. Mazie Hirono, Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Mark Warner, Sen. Tina Smith, Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Ed Markey.
In her statement Sunday, Harris continued, “It is a profound honor to serve as his vice president, and I am deeply grateful to the president, [first lady] Dr. [Jill] 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 gneral 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.”
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