March For Our Lives backs Kamala Harris for president in first-ever political endorsement

July 24 (UPI) -- March For Our Lives on Wednesday backed Kamala Harris ' bid for president in its first-ever political endorsement.

The youth-led group that was formed following the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., said it believes Harris is the "champion" who will "march for our lives" amid threats such as "growing authoritarianism, far-right leaders in the halls of power and a gun violence epidemic that is ravaging our communities."

"This is the first endorsement we've ever made, and the stakes couldn't be higher," the group said. "As one of the largest youth-led movements in the nation, we are clear-eyed about the challenge ahead and we believe that Kamala Harris is uniquely suited to meet this moment."

March for Our Lives co-founder David Hogg said Harris has "proven herself to be a thoughtful and forceful leader on gun violence" with a history of listening to young people.

"Given her strong record on gun safety and prioritizing youth voices during our time in office, I'm proud that Kamala Harris will receive March For Our Lives' first-ever endorsement, and I'm so excited for our work to mobilize young people for her campaign," Hogg said.

The endorsement comes days after President Joe Biden announced he would drop out of the race on Sunday with Harris launching her campaign at stops in Wisconsin and Indiana this week.

Natalie Fall, executive director of March For Our Lives told ABC News she believes Harris could win the election by pulling young voters off the sidelines with an agenda they can embrace.

"We see a lot of energy around Vice President Harris in this election; there's no denying that," Fall said. "I think everybody's seeing that right now."