Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi Endorses Kamala Harris for President

Updated at 2:20 p.m.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former Democratic House Speaker who remains one of the party’s most influential leaders, is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president, making clear she stands behind her fellow Californian as Harris works to lock up the Democratic nomination.

Pelosi, whose relationship with Harris dates back decades, issued the full-throated endorsement on Monday morning, a day after President Biden announced he would drop out of the race.

“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. My enthusiastic support for Kamala Harris for President is official, personal and political,” Pelosi said in a statement.

Pelosi played a key behind-the-scenes role in recent weeks to pressure Biden to step aside — and her lack of immediate endorsement for Harris was raising some eyebrows, given both women’s ties to San Francisco. Before Biden dropped out, Pelosi said she favored a competitive process to pick a new Democratic candidate.

But Pelsoi had nothing other than praise for Harris in her endorsement statement.

“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. 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,” she said.

Democrats’ current congressional leadership — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — stopped short of echoing Pelosi’s full endorsement.

Schumer and Jeffries, who were also reportedly key players in pushing Biden to step aside, said they would stay out of the debate over who should be the Democratic nominee — at least for now.

“Vice President Kamala Harris is off to a great start with her promise to pursue the presidential nomination in a manner consistent with the grassroots and transparent process set forth by the Democratic National Committee,” the joint statement said. “She is rapidly picking up support from grassroots delegates from one end of the country to the other. We look forward to meeting in person with Vice President Harris shortly as we collectively work to unify the Democratic Party and the country.”

The statement isn’t likely reflective of any animosity or opposition toward Harris by the two New York officials but rather an attempt to avoid the appearance that party leaders are crowning Harris, the nominee, without any sort of public process.

Given their shared San Francisco roots, however, Pelosi likely felt pressure to back Harris to avoid the appearance that she was somehow opposed to her candidacy. On Monday morning, other leading San Francisco Democrats rallied at City Hall to support Harris as the party’s nominee.