Nancy Pelosi endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president on Monday, ending a brief period of speculation about whether or not the former House speaker and Democratic power player would offer an endorsement ahead of next month's Democratic National Convention.
"Today, it is with immense pride and limitless optimism for our country's future that I endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States," Pelosi said in a statement posted to social media. "My enthusiastic support for Kamala Harris for President is official, personal and political."
“Officially, I have seen Kamala Harris’s strength and courage as a champion for working families, notably fighting for a woman’s right to choose,” Pelosi wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Monday. “Personally, I have known Kamala Harris for decades as rooted in strong values, faith and a commitment to public service.
“Politically, make no mistake: Kamala Harris as a woman in politics is brilliantly astute — and I have full confidence that she will lead us to victory in November.”
The venerable California Democrat also heaped praise on Biden, despite the fact that she played a key role in conveying concerns from within her conference to the White House behind the scenes.
"America has been truly blessed by the wisdom and leadership of President Joe Biden," she said. "With love and gratitude, I salute President Biden for always believing in the possibilities of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfillment. As one of our country's most consequential presidents, President Biden has been not only on the right side of history, but on the right side of the future."
Harris has racked up key endorsements from lawmakers and Democratic power players in the less than 24 hours since President Biden announced he would step down from the ticket, as well as the backing of labor unions and record-breaking financial support.
On Monday alone, Harris won over potential presidential challengers like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, potential running mates like Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and figures seen as the future of the Democratic Party, like Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Only a few holdouts, like former President Barack Obama and former Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, now an independent, remain, though the latter confirmed Monday after some speculation Sunday that he would not re-register with the party to challenge her.
She also has secured about half of the delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination outright at next month's convention. She has more than 1,000 of the 1,976 needed, according to announcements from state parties and a tally from The Associated Press.
On Sunday afternoon, Biden’s campaign formally changed its name to Harris for President, reflecting that she is inheriting his political operation of more than 1,000 staffers and a war chest that stood at nearly $96 million at the end of June. It got bigger by Monday morning: Campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said Harris had raised $49.6 million in donations in the first 15 hours after Biden’s endorsement.
In a sign that the Democratic Party was moving to coalesce behind her, Harris quickly won endorsements from the leadership of several influential caucuses and political organizations, including the AAPI Victory Fund, which focuses on Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, The Collective PAC, focused on building Black political power, and the Latino Victory Fund, as well as the chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the entire Congressional Black Caucus. Harris, if elected, would be the first woman and first person of South Asian descent to be president.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.