Report: Harris Has ‘Locked Down’ California With New Endorsements

A new report in POLITICO says that California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris has “locked down” California support for her 2020 presidential candidacy.

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Next year the California primary will be one of the earliest in the nation, which is a change from prior years. It also has by far the largest number of available Democratic convention delegates. As a result, winning California — or at least doing very well there — is probably going to be the key for any Democrat who wants to win the 2020 nomination.

Harris made a “show of force” according to POLITICO, when on Tuesday she announced support of her candidacy from over a dozen important and powerful Democratic California statewide leaders and office holders.

Included in the Harris campaign announcement were support from:

• California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis,
• Secretary of State Alex Padilla,
• State Treasurer Fiona Ma,
• Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and
• Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.

Harris’ latest endorsements in California came just a few weeks after new Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he is backing Harris in her 2020 race for the White House.

Kounalakis, the former ambassador to Hungary in the Obama administration, and California’s first female lieutenant governor, said in a statement, “Kamala paved the way for women, including myself, to run for elected office, and win. I couldn’t be more enthusiastic for her presidency.”

Secretary of State Padilla said Harris, “has been out front on the issues that matter, including defending our right to vote, strengthening our nation’s security, and protecting immigrant communities. As president, she will uphold the American dream.”

The crowd of new endorsements is just the latest in Harris’ aggressive efforts to dominate California, which is both the nation’s most populous state and the nation’s most Democratic state.

Her popularity has already been evidenced by the fact that she has previously won two state-wide races, and has a powerful political operation in the Golden State.

As POLITICO said, “a mother lode of delegates are at stake on March 3 of next year in the Super Tuesday early primary.”

California will have 495 delegates out of a total of 4,532 Democratic convention delegates next year, which is 11% –one out of every nine delegates. A total of 2,267 delegates are needed to win the nomination. So if Harris were to win all California delegates that would be nearly one-fourth (22%) of what she will need to become the Democrats’ standard bearer in 2020.

Boosting her chances is the fact that Harris, the former state attorney general, is the only Californian in the 2020 White House race.

Political experts are saying that Harris‘ early efforts to show her dominance in California will send a strong message to other Democrats in the crowded 2020 race about her strength in her home state.

Many commentators believe that as of right now Harris is one of the frontrunners for next year’s Democratic nomination. Last month we wrote that Harris could be “Trump’s worst nightmare” in 2020.

Leo Vidal

I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.