Pennsylvania voters of color react to Kamala Harris endorsement

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) – Pennsylvania political, civic and religious leaders of color reacted Monday to the news that Vice President Kamala Harris is one step closer to being nominated to run for president of the United States.

"It's overwhelming," said Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija Monday.

President Joe Biden's endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to run for president came across Makhija's phone Sunday as a surprise.

"The phone started ringing off the hook," Makhija said.

Makhija, like Harris, is of South-Asian descent. His family is from India. He is also a delegate for the Democratic National Committee. He said he is ecstatic about the news, and he is not alone.

"I was just on a call with all the delegates from Pennsylvania to the convention, and we unanimously voted to endorse her as our presidential nominee," Makhija said.

The Rev. Jo Ann Jones, associate rector of The Episcopal Church of The Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, shared similar excitement.

However, she brought up concern when Harris ran for her U.S. Senate seat in 2016, about Harris' time as attorney general of California. At the time, Harris faced scrutiny for being considered tough on crime. It was also a point of controversy among Black voters when she ran for president in 2020.

"I know that she had some questionable policies," Jones said. "And actions towards Black men and Black incarcerated men."

However, Jones, a former attorney herself, said she hopes Harris wins the Democratic nomination.

"I would be all in on supporting the ticket," Jones said.

The CEO of Spectrum Health, Veronica Hill-Milbourne, was sworn in as the first Black councilperson in Horsham in 2018. She said it shows major progress in this country that Harris could soon be the first Black woman and Asian American nominated to run for president of the United States.

"I am very, very excited for Vice President Kamala Harris," she said. "She's a very strong contender. She's a no-nonsense politician. I do not, again, have any reservations about her ability to serve in this role."

Support like this could be critical for Harris as she tries to win over voters in Montgomery County and elsewhere in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.