What 4 Key Democratic Governors Have Said About Biden Dropping Out

While Vice President Kamala Harris is at the top of the list of Democrats who could replace President Biden as the party’s nominee for president, earning his endorsement as he dropped out of the race on Sunday, a handful of Democratic governors have also attracted attention as potential presidential contenders.

Governors Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, JB Pritzker of Illinois are among them. Here’s what they have said so far:

Gavin Newsom: A key campaign surrogate who had vehemently defended Mr. Biden in recent weeks amid growing Democratic pressure to step aside, Mr. Newsom had previously said he that would not run against Ms. Harris. But in a statement on Sunday, he did not immediately endorse her. Mr. Newsom instead focused on Mr. Biden’s legacy, saying he would “go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents.”

Gretchen Whitmer: She also did not explicitly endorse Ms. Harris in a statement praising Mr. Biden’s presidency. But, she said, “my job in this election will remain the same: doing everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump.” Her office did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on Sunday about whether she had decided not to run.

Josh Shapiro: Mr. Shapiro had demurred as recently as Saturday when asked whether he would consider running for president or joining a Harris ticket as the vice-presidential nominee, telling KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh that he was “not going to engage in hypotheticals.” Like Mr. Newsom and Ms. Whitmer, he limited his statement on Sunday to Mr. Biden’s legacy, saying that he is “one of the most consequential presidents in modern history” and that “I am proud to work by his side.”

JB