Harris rapidly starts building her Capitol Hill coalition
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Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Fayetteville, N.C., on Thursday. Photo: Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris is moving quickly to solidify support on Capitol Hill and lock in a broad coalition of backers just hours after President Biden endorsed her to replace him as the Democratic nominee.
Why it matters: The rapid formation of a wide-ranging, pro-Harris bloc on Capitol Hill could help push Democratic leaders off the sidelines and extinguish pockets of dissent.
Driving the news: Harris and her team have already started making calls to House and Senate Democrats as of Sunday afternoon to shore up support, according to multiple lawmakers and other sources familiar with the matter.
- "I know she is already in conversation with members," Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) told Axios. "I've spoken to folks who have spoken to her ... today."
- "Her team is fully activated. ... Our California delegation is coalescing very rapidly, so I'm sure that's happening in other delegations in real time," Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.).
- Harris' "surrogates are [making calls] and ... caucuses are already voting to make her our endorsed candidate," said one House Democrat.
- Another House Democrat, who hasn't endorsed Harris, told Axios: "She's getting a ton of support/endorsements from members on our various Signal chats."
State of play: The leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the center-left New Democrat Coalition and the Black Caucus all quickly endorsed Harris after Biden withdrew and threw his support behind her.
- Harris' emerging support on Capitol Hill transcends many of Democrats' traditional dividing lines, with frontliners, progressives, moderates, white, Black and Hispanic lawmakers alike backing her.
- New Democrats Chair Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Hispanic Caucus Chair Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.) all spoke with Harris on Sunday.
- "I am honored to have the President's endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination," Harris said in a statement Sunday afternoon.
What they're saying: Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), a Biden loyalist, told Axios she is "very enthusiastic" about Harris as the nominee.
- Several House Democrats who called for Biden to withdraw feel the same: "I'm confident that, with Vice President Kamala Harris at the helm of the Democratic ticket ... we will defeat Donald Trump," said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.).
- Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who raised doubts about Biden's ability to win, said in a statement she is "behind Vice President Harris one-hundred percent."
Yes, but: Harris will have to contend with a bloc of congressional Democrats who wants to see genuine competition for the nomination.
- "While, with President Biden's endorsement, Vice President Harris is clearly the leading candidate, we should be open to all talented individuals who wish to be considered," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas).
- "We should have a choice at the convention," another House Democrat told Axios.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) both avoided any mention of Harris in their statements on Biden's withdrawal.
What to watch: Amo said he anticipates members of Congress "will be hearing lots from her soon. ... I expect [conversations] to happen in a more formal way in the next few days."
- "It's politics, so there will be a few outliers and detractors ... but everything I know convinces me that 80%-90% of Dems, from the grassroots to donors and elected, will be with Harris from the jump," said Huffman.
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