California Democratic Rep. Karen Bass announced Friday that she would be supporting former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary.
Friday scooplet from me: CBC Chair @RepKarenBass endorses @JoeBiden, saying African Americans are casting a “survival vote” in 2020 https://t.co/GHpFHJuuMn
— Errin Haines (@emarvelous) March 13, 2020
Bass made the announcement Friday morning, telling the Associated Press, “It’s very clear to me that he is the best person, not just to beat (President Donald) Trump, but he is the person to lead at this time. I think him having a long-standing history of working with African American communities, most notably in his own state but around the country, was qualitatively different from the other candidates.”
Bass also explained that the endorsement was a personal one and did not reflect the full weight of the Congressional Black Caucus as a whole. She also explained that she had held off her endorsement while two members of the caucus, California Sen. Kamala Harris and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, were still running in the primary as well. (RELATED: Joe Biden Appears To Leak Kamala Harris Endorsement At Rally)
Since dropping out of the race, both Harris and Booker have also endorsed Biden — and may be on his short list for a potential vice-presidential pick.
Biden tells NBC News he’s considered his recent big endorsers—Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar—as potential vice president picks.
— Christopher Cadelago (@ccadelago) March 9, 2020
Even in the early contests, Biden has had the overwhelming support of the African American community. That support, along with the timely endorsement of South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, delivered the South Carolina primary to the former vice president.
Only one member of the CBC has publicly endorsed Biden’s rival, independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders: Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar.