Former Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-Louisiana) said Vice President Harris is taking on an “expanding role” in the campaign ahead of the November election.
Richmond, co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign, said Sunday on MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart” that the vice president would step up his involvement in the campaign. His comments come as the campaign and White House seek to allay concerns about whether President Biden can win a second term following his lackluster performance in last month’s debate.
“She’s had an expanded role and has been a valuable partner since day one. I’m not going to get into whether she’s been covered fairly in the press, but she’s a valuable partner. She’s very intelligent,” he said. “And she’s not only publicly voiced her support for President Biden, she’s said so privately.”
Harris has walked a delicate balance as some have suggested she should replace Biden as the top candidate, reiterating her support for Biden and doubling down on his ability to serve a second term.
Richmond also noted that California Governor Gavin Newsom (Democrat) and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (Democrat) had also endorsed Biden after the debate. Both Democratic governors have emerged as possible candidates to replace Biden but remain firm in their support for his reelection bid.
“After the debate, Gavin Newsom was doing the same thing as me, and Gretchen Whitmer was on the speaker’s call yesterday and reiterated her support,” Richmond said.
“Leaders are rallying around this president and vice president because they understand what’s at stake and what they’ve accomplished,” he added.
