California up for grabs as Harris exits race

Politico

SAN FRANCISCO — Kamala Harris could never personally lock down California as a presidential contender. But the senator’s supporters are warning that her former rivals would be foolish to underestimate Harris’ clout in her home state.

“Where do Californians who supported Kamala go now? First, they go into mourning. And then, they go into watching how people are reacting — because the rest of the field just got a big boost,’’ says Christine Pelosi, the daughter of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the chair of the California Democratic Party Women’s Caucus, which cheered Harris’ entry into the 2020 race. “If they’re gleeful about it, that will be a real turnoff.”

Harris saw early promise in the crucial state: After a spectacular campaign kickoff in January where Harris was cheered by 20,000 backers in her hometown of Oakland, Harris surged into the early top tier of the Democratic field and quickly amassed a slew of endorsements from leading California politicians. (They included Gov. Gavin Newsom, who on Monday announced that he would campaign for Harris in Iowa — just in time to see Harris announce the suspension of her campaign Tuesday.)

But some notable California elected officials failed to sign on to her effort from the very beginning. Harris’ senior Senate colleague, Dianne Feinstein — and her husband Richard Blum — early on hosted fundraisers for former Vice President Joe Biden in San Francisco, where Harris served as district attorney. Sen. Bernie Sanders early on nabbed the backing of Silicon Valley Rep. Ro Khanna, his California co-chair, who has been vociferous in his support. Just days ago, Rep. Katie Porter — another California Democratic party rising star — backed Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti didn't join the parade of state elected officials getting behind Harris in the early days — and still hasn't endorsed in the race.