PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Democratic delegates in Rhode Island and Massachusetts rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris Wednesday, choosing her as their 2024 presidential nominee.

The Rhode Island Democratic Party announced that its delegates overwhelmingly endorsed Harris, while the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee voted unanimously to do so.

R.I. Democratic Party Chairwoman Elizabeth Beretta-Perik said over the past few days, Harris “has demonstrated that for our generation she has the power and strength to offer the renewal our country so desperately needs at this point in our history.”

“Kamala Harris already embodies the hopes of many Americans who have been bewildered by the efforts of some to turn back the clock in America,” Beretta-Perik said. “For women who have worried about the erosion of their rights, or our working families who have worried about their economic future, or our young people who have not seen leaders who are reflections of themselves — Harris is now their voice.”

Beretta-Perik said the delegation, which voted 25 out of 26 to endorse Harris, is ready to nominate the country’s first female president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month.

Massachusetts Democratic State Committee Chairman Steve Kerrigan echoed Beretta-Perik’s sentiment.

“Our party is united, energized, and ready to defeat Donald Trump and J.D. Vance this November,” Kerrigan said.

Harris’ rise to the top of the ticket came just days after President Joe Biden announced his decision to exit the 2024 race amid scrutiny over his age, health and ability to beat former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Biden was quick to endorse Harris after bowing out, however, insisting that she is more than capable of moving the country forward.

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