Harris is quickly consolidating support among House Democrats
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Vice President Kamala Harris at an event in Greensboro, North Carolina on July 11, 2024. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images.
Several top members of House Democratic leadership endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday morning as lawmakers continued to rapidly coalesce around the vice president's bid to lead the ticket.
Why it matters: As Harris continues to pick up support from the top echelons of the party, the path for any any would-be challenger to mount a rival campaign is narrowing.
- A handful of Democratic lawmakers, donors and party officials have advocated for a genuinely contested process, but those voices have thus far largely been drowned out.
Driving the news: House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), the chamber's second-ranking Democrat, "proudly and enthusiastically" endorsed Harris in a Monday statement.
- House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), the No. 3 House Democrat, also backed Harris, vowing to "do everything I can to elect Kamala Harris the 47th President of the United States."
- So did Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), who said Harris is the "right person to prosecute the case" against former President Trump.
The intrigue: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) spoke with Harris on Sunday but had not endorsed her as of Monday morning – which sources cautioned is not necessarily due to skepticism of her candidacy.
- Jeffries "wants to quash [the] idea of an unfair convention" by allowing Harris to build support in Congress from the bottom up, said one senior House Democrat.
- A leadership aide stressed that Harris has said she plans to "earn" the support she needs to secure the nomination and that Jeffries looks forward to speaking with her further.
What to watch: Harris is getting endorsements from many Biden skeptics and from corners of the caucus that had the greatest concerns about the 81-year-old president, including members in swing districts.
- Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), one of the first Democrats who called for Biden to drop out, said in a statement that Harris "has the energy, the vision, and the courage to unite our party and beat Donald Trump."
- Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), one of a handful of Democrats in districts Trump won in 2020, said Harris is "more than ready to unify our party and make a sharp, determined case for what's on the ballot in November.
