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Kamala Harris endorses Joe Biden for Democratic presidential nomination
Former US vice-president Joe Biden has been on a roll since his thumping victory in the South Carolina primaries, which he capped with a landslide in the Super Tuesday nomination contests last week, picking up 10 of the 14 states on the ballot.
Senator Kamala Harris on Sunday endorsed former vice-president Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination, becoming sixth of his former rivals to back him. She has frequently figured in speculation about Biden’s pick for running mate should he win the nomination.
“I have decided that I am with great enthusiasm going to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States,” Harris, the first Indian American (she is also part African American) ever elected to US senate, said in a video message. “I believe in Joe. I really believe in him, and I have known him for a long time.”
“There is no one better prepared than Joe to steer our nation through these turbulent times, and restore truth, honor, and decency to the Oval Office. He is kind and endlessly caring, and he truly listens to the American people.” Harris ended her White House run in December.
The former vice-president has been on a roll since his thumping victory in the South Carolina primaries, which he capped with a landslide in the Super Tuesday nomination contests last week, picking up 10 of the 14 states on the ballot. Senator Bernie Sanders took the rest four in what is now a two-man race. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is still there but with no real path to the nomination. She has not won a single primary yet.
On Saturday, the Biden campaign unveiled plans to spent $12 million on ads ahead of the upcoming nominating contests on March 10 and March 17.
Harris’s endorsement was the sixth from Biden’s erstwhile rivals, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former congressman Beto O’Rourke and billionaire Michael Bloomberg in recent days and is being seen as a consolidation of moderates in the party.
Speculation about Biden’s running-mate has picked up steam as well. He has not named names, but indicated last August he could pick someone “of color and/or a different gender”. Harris has been on a list of those he could select, along with Stacy Abrams, who shot to national celebrity in 2018 as a candidate for governor in Georgia. Others in the changing list include Klobuchar and former deputy attorney general Sally Yates.
