These Houston-area lawmakers support Kamala Harris’ presidential bid – Houston Public Media

Jacquelyn Martin / AP

The Texas Democratic National Delegation and several Houston-area lawmakers are supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The state’s Democratic delegation came together and overwhelmingly endorsed Harris at a meeting Monday night, just weeks before the national convention in Chicago.

“Her historic tenure as the first Black and South Asian woman to serve as vice president was marked by an unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and progress for all Americans,” Gilberto Hinojosa, Texas National Delegation Chair, said in a statement. “With her extensive experience, dedication to public service, and proven leadership, we believe Kamala Harris is uniquely qualified to defeat Donald Trump and move our nation forward, championing the values ​​and ideals that unite us as a country.”

President Joe Biden wasted no time in endorsing Harris’ presidential bid minutes after announcing Sunday that he would withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Last week, he tested positive for COVID-19 while on the campaign trail.

RELATED: President Joe Biden’s trip to Houston to assess Hurricane Beryl recovery efforts canceled

Democrats in the state and the Houston area overwhelmingly support Harris in her presidential bid.

In a letter to the Texas House Democratic caucus on Monday, 15 Houston-area lawmakers reinforced their shared support for the vice president, calling the longtime prosecutor “a patriot who loves her country and her countrymen.”

See more

As chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, representing nearly 13 million Texans, we are proud to be among the first state delegations to support @KamalaHarris as the next President of the United States.

Let’s win this. #Kamala2024 pic.twitter.com/X1HX1829Ce

— TMF (@TMFtx) July 22, 2024

“Vice President Harris’ story as the daughter of immigrants is a testament to the America she wants to build for all — a country where every child in every neighborhood has a chance at the American Dream,” the caucus said. “A story many of us here in Texas know well.”

Here are the local Democratic caucus members supporting Harris for president:

• Texas State Representative Gene Wu
• Texas State Representative Harold V. Dutton Jr.
• Texas State Representative Jon E. Rosenthal
• Senfronia Thompson, Texas State Representative
• Texas State Representative Ana Hernandez
• Texas State Representative Ann Johnson
• Texas State Representative Jarvis Johnson
• Texas State Representative Jolanda Jones
• Texas State Representative Suleman Lalani
• Texas State Representative Armando Walle
• Texas State Representative Hubert Vo
• Texas State Representative Christina Morales
• Texas State Representative Mary Ann Perez
• Texas State Representative Ron Reynolds
• Alma A. Allen, Texas State Representative

An Associated Press poll showed Harris has won the support of enough party delegates to become the presidential nominee to run against former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

As of Monday night, she had received nearly 2,900 endorsements from Democratic delegates, according to the survey. Delegates still have the option to vote for another candidate of their choice at the Chicago convention in August, according to AP.

At a special session of the American Federation of Teachers’ biennial convention in Houston Monday night, delegates voted overwhelmingly to nominate Harris for president.

“AFT educators, bus drivers, nurses, public sector employees, higher education workers, corrections officers and doctors stand with Kamala,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement.

“We are fully committed to this fight: united, mobilized and ready to vote in this year’s elections,” he said.