Some key battleground Dems conspicuously quiet about Kamala Harris on Sunday

Most of the Democratic challengers running for competitive seats across the country had glaring omissions in their statements Sunday about President Joe Biden bowing out of the race.

They didn’t mention Vice President Kamala Harris.

It was an eyebrow-raising contrast to the dozens of House and Senate Democratic incumbents who immediately came out in support of Harris as their party’s nominee. And it was even more noticeable in the blue states of New York and California, which hold a slew of districts where voters chose Biden in 2020 but have supported GOP candidates down the ballot since.

A flood of support for Harris could still come, and few Democrats called for a contested convention or backed any other candidate.

But as their safe-seat counterparts put out statements Sunday, swing-seat Democrats faced a tougher calculus. Some of them, like Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.), got to yes on Harris. Others, especially challengers to Republican incumbents, stayed silent.

Their hesitation speaks to the politically murky situation as Harris coalesces support.

Battleground Democrats had been terrified that Biden — deeply unpopular and facing serious questions about his viability — would drag them down in November and hurt the party’s chances of keeping the Senate and retaking the House. A replacement could help them win, but Harris is a relative unknown. Few campaigns have polling data indicating her standing in key states and districts.

“It’s likely her,” said one Democratic operative working on multiple competitive House races, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly. “But what’s the harm in trying to hold out hoping someone better happens?”

Voters surveyed in battleground states in January and after, before Biden announced his decision to step down, showed Harris either running even with the president or underperforming compared to him . A notable exception: some of the vice president’s backers pointed to data that showed her surging among young voters and voters of color.

A few of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Jon Tester of Montana, did not back Harris on Sunday in their initial statements. Brown then endorsed Harris later Sunday evening. Similarly, in Pennsylvania, Casey, a staunch Biden ally running for reelection in a key swing state, praised the president Sunday afternoon without mentioning Harris ; he endorsed the vice president more than four hours later .

Arizona Senate hopeful Ruben Gallego was among those who had not yet endorsed Sunday night. He praised Biden’s legacy but made no mention of Harris until a later tweet in which he touted her record and said she would work “to earn the nomination.” His campaign said Monday that he supports her becoming the nominee.

The House Democratic incumbents running in the reddest districts also initially declined to make any endorsements Sunday.

One member from a swing district, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said in an interview before Biden’s exit that support for Harris in the district was flagging.

“Kamala, eh that’s not good,” the member said, summarizing the voter sentiment they heard. “In the primary four years ago, she didn’t last very long.”

Democratic House hopefuls are so far notably quiet about Kamala Harris

One group clearly unwilling to immediately signal support for Harris? The nearly 30 Democratic candidates designated as top-tier challengers by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

A POLITICO review of statements by these challengers for open and GOP-held seats found only a few voicing support for Harris. In Virginia, Missy Cotter Smasal and Eugene Vindman both publicly endorsed Harris. But the vast majority of the group released statements thanking Biden without backing a successor.

In two of the biggest and bluest states, with several districts most crucial to Democrats’ hopes of winning a House majority, nearly all the Democratic candidates running for Republican-held seats and some incumbent members declined to offer an endorsement.

Only one of New York’s six battleground Democrats mentioned Harris in a statement Sunday.

Similarly, Democrats running in New York’s swing districts reacted to the news of Biden’s withdrawal with gratitude for the president’s service, but none rushed to back Harris as his successor.

Just John Avlon, the former CNN host challenging Rep. Nick LaLota on Long Island, referenced Harris.

He acknowledged Biden’s endorsement of Harris but did not appear to join it himself: “I respect that President Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who is a former U.S. Senator, Attorney General, and District Attorney.”

Similarly, most Democrats running for swing seats in California praised Biden without mentioning their state’s former senator and attorney general.

Among the candidates who sidestepped the vice president Sunday were state Sen. Dave Min, Rudy Salas, Will Rollins, Derek Tran and George Whitesides. They are all vying for battleground seats.

Back in January, polling across some of California’s politically competitive regions like Orange County and the Central Valley, which are collectively home to more than a half-dozen competitive House races, showed little difference in the presidential results between a Biden vs. Trump matchup and a Harris vs. Trump contest.

Rep. Mike Levin , who represents a swing coastal district in San Diego and Orange counties, was the only battleground House Democrat in the state to quickly endorse Harris.

And as of Sunday night, the Democrats in Trump-won districts had not yet endorsed Harris. That includes Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), who put out statements that did not include mention of Harris.

Momentum is growing for down-ballot Democrats to unite behind Harris

Democrats in both chambers are desperate to move on after a tortuous three weeks following Biden’s disastrous debate performance that shook his party’s faith in his candidacy. Down-ballot candidates had grown increasingly panicked that Biden would make their races unwinnable, potentially giving Republicans control of the White House, Senate and House. Biden’s decision to drop out of the race Sunday relieved some of that concern.

And there is a growing push toward uniting behind Harris, who Biden backed quickly on Sunday. It’s possible that battleground members will come around to her candidacy but in the hours immediately after Biden’s exit they were leaving their options open.

There is little reliable polling that tests Harris’ strength in key swing territory. Polling conducted before Biden dropped out is based on a hypothetical. Harris’ own 2020 campaign was a flop and many Democrats felt it was poorly managed . Still many feel anyone would be less of a drag than Biden was at the top of the ticket. Some of the most endangered members have privately said they feel Harris would do better than Biden in their districts.

More than a dozen House Democrats designated by their party as the most vulnerable quickly came out for Harris.

Wild, a congressmember who holds an extremely competitive seat in Pennsylvania, called Harris “an accomplished and exceptional public servant.” Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio) urged Democrats to unify around the vice president. Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) said there was “no one better to continue Joe Biden’s legacy.”

Harris certainly has momentum. An initial statement from Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) only praised Biden. But nearly three hours later she released a second one endorsing Harris, calling her “highly qualified for the job” and “ready to lead on Day 1.”

The number of Harris endorsements is likely to grow in the coming days, especially as other potential presidential candidates take themselves out of contention.

Sarah Ferris, Melanie Mason and Nick Reisman contributed to this report.