California’s Gavin Newsom endorses Harris

California Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed Kamala Harris’ presidential bid on Sunday evening, after several hours of silence that left political observers questioning his stance.

The Democratic governor, who has long shared a parallel trajectory with the vice president as a fellow Californian who also started his political career in San Francisco, said Harris is best positioned to go up against former President Donald Trump. He called her “Tough. Fearless. Tenacious.”

“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,” Newsom said in a statement posted on X . It came more than five hours after an initial post reacting to President Joe Biden’s decision to step aside in the race.

Harris was previously the top prosecutor in San Francisco, serving as district attorney from 2004 to 2011 — at the same time Newsom was the city’s mayor. The two share the same orbit of supporters and wealthy donors in California.

Though the gap between his initial post (which didn't mention Harris) and his endorsement fueled speculation about his support, it was unlikely that Newsom wouldn’t back the vice president: In recent weeks, he had said he would support her if Biden dropped out.