WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday endorsed California attorney general Kamala Harris to become the state’s next Senator.
In a statement, Obama called Harris “a lifelong courtroom prosecutor with only one client: the people of the state of California.”
“Kamala’s experience has taught her that if you’re going to give everybody a fair shot, you’ve got to take on the special interests that too often stand in the way of progress,” Obama said, adding that Harris, “fights for us.”
Vice President Biden, a former Senator himself, said the Senate “needs people like her — leaders who will always fight to make a difference and who never forget where they come from.”
The pair of endorsements further strengthen Harris as she seeks to become the first Indian American woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate. She squares off against fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez, a 10-term congresswoman, in November’s general election.
While Obama rarely inserts himself into state-level politics, the endorsement comes as no surprise as the two are longtime friends. In 2013, Obama apologized to her after telling a group of wealthy donors in Silicon Valley that she is the “best-looking attorney general.” His popularity remains in the Golden State, and likely offers Harris with a boost in an unprecedented election for the state — two minority women, both Democrats, in a runoff to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer.
Harris has also been endorsed by the state Democratic Party and has a long list of prominent supporters, including Gov. Jerry Brown and Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Additionally, the matchup marks the first time since voters began electing senators nearly a century ago that no Republican will be represented on the ballot.
