Gov. Newsom endorses Kamala Harris for president, in show of California unity after Biden drops out

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, hours after President Biden announced he would not seek reelection.

Newsom and Harris rose up in Bay Area politics to becom e the state’s two most prominent elected officials, with some seeing them as potential presidential rivals down the road. With the endorsement, California's two top Democrats remained united.

“Tough. Fearless. Tenacious,” Newsom said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “With our democracy at stake, and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President.”

Newsom has been talked about as a potential presidential candidate after Biden's left office and over the two years has been raising his profile by speaking out on national issues, debating Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and served as a Biden campaign surrogate.

Since Biden's disastrous debate performance, Newsom has remained a public supporter of the president. Earlier this month, he said he would not challenge Harris for the presidency in 2024.

“Of course,” Newsom said when asked whether he stood by comments he made last year about not running against Harris. “Yes.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .