Potential rivals to Harris for president line up to endorse her

Democratic lawmakers, organizers, and potential rivals rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy less than a day after President Biden stepped out of the race and put his support behind her as the presidential nominee. She appears on a glide path to the nomination when delegates meet in Chicago next month.

Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., seen as a potential contender, told MSNBC Monday morning that he was endorsing her candidacy. “The vice president is smart and strong which will make her a good president,” he said.

Fellow Democratic Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania also quickly endorsed Harris, eliminating speculation that they might try to challenge her at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in four weeks.

A flood of Democratic lawmakers in both the House and Senate have already rallied behind Harris, including former House Speaker and fellow Californian Nancy Pelosi, who appeared to have an active role in Biden's decision to back out of the race.

"In the Democratic Party, our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power," Pelosi wrote in a statement on X. "Now, we must unify and charge forward to resoundingly defeat Donald Trump and enthusiastically elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States.”

While some Democrats are advocating for an “open process” in Chicago, there seems to be little appetite for a contentious battle for the nomination to take on former President Donald Trump, and any potential challenge seemed likely to be nominal.

“A lot of people would like to see a mini-primary. That’s the process to find out if you have the strongest candidate, whether it be Kamala or someone else, to get behind,” longtime Democrat-turned-independent