By Jeff Mason
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi spoke out in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign at a fundraiser in California on Sunday that raised millions of dollars at the end of a tour by Harris and her running mate through swing states.
Pelosi appeared with the Democratic presidential candidate in San Francisco at an event that Harris’ campaign said raised more than $12 million.
“This is a good day to welcome Kamala Harris back home to California,” Pelosi said of the former U.S. senator, attorney general and district attorney of the state.
“She makes us all so proud. She brings us so much joy. She gives us so much hope,” Pelosi said at the fundraiser, which took place in a hotel ballroom.
Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, just finished a tour of several political swing states, taking thousands of people to rallies and building on the momentum that has propelled her since she took the top spot on the Democratic ticket.
Pelosi, the longtime lawmaker and Washington power broker, is credited with helping to get President Joe Biden from the presidential race.
Biden, 81, resigned last month after a weak debate performance against Republicans Donald Trump sparked unrest within the Democratic Party and led to fears that he would neither be able to defeat the former president nor serve a second four-year term.
Pelosi’s comments in a television interview that Biden had not yet decided whether to resign were seen as an opportunity for concerned Democratic lawmakers to urge Biden to resign, even though the president had announced he would remain in office.
Pelosi praised Biden’s achievements but criticized his earlier campaign. On Sunday, she linked the 59-year-old Harris to the successes of Biden’s administration.
“She knows the issues. She knows the strategy. She has accomplished a tremendous amount working with Joe Biden,” Pelosi said.
Harris acknowledged the enthusiasm but warned against getting caught up in it.
“We cannot take anything for granted at this critical moment,” she said after thanking Pelosi for her friendship and support.
“The energy is undeniable,” Harris said. “Yes, the crowds are big.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was once considered a potential Democratic successor to Biden before he resigned, was also present.
Harris, making her own case against Trump, said if the former president were re-elected he would enact a national abortion ban and warned that California would not be immune. Trump has sought to distance himself from Republican efforts to ban abortion, saying it should be up to individual states.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Diane Craft)
