Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are poised to endorse Kamala Harris for president at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, three people familiar with the plans told POLITICO.
The two top congressional Democrats announced Tuesday morning that they would hold a joint press conference at 1 p.m. near the Capitol. They did not reveal the subject of the press conference, but the three people said it would be a joint endorsement of Harris, following her success Monday night in securing the necessary delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination.
It’s a further show of force behind Harris after a flood of party endorsements, congressional and otherwise, came in immediately after President Joe Biden announced his decision to drop out.
Some in the party expected the endorsement could come as early as Monday and said were surprised by a placeholder statement from Jeffries and Schumer that day that said she was “off to a great start.” Still, multiple Democrats anticipated an endorsement was coming soon, characterizing it as only a matter of time.
A person familiar with the two leaders’ thinking said they were waiting for Harris to lock down a majority of delegates and secure the nomination.
Jeffries and Schumer have said they will meet with Harris “soon,” though they haven’t publicly set a specific date.
Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
