The crowd of 2020 endorsements is just the latest in Sen. Kamala Harris’ aggressive efforts to dominate California, the nation’s most populous state. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images 2020 Elections Harris aims to lock down California with new statewide endorsements

SAN FRANCISCO — In a show of force aimed at locking down support in California — an early primary state critical to her 2020 hopes — Sen. Kamala Harris on Tuesday announced the backing of a score of Democratic California statewide officers.

The Harris campaign Tuesday is set to announce the backing of Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, state Secretary of State Alex Padilla, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, POLITICO has learned.


Harris’ latest endorsements in delegate-rich California, provided to POLITICO, come just weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his backing of her 2020 bid.

The crowd of endorsements is just the latest in Harris’ aggressive efforts to dominate California, the nation’s most populous state — in which a potential mother lode of delegates is at stake on March 3 in the Super Tuesday early primary. Harris, the former state attorney general, is the only Californian in the 2020 White House race, but Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell — who has family roots in Iowa and has visited the state more than 15 times — has edged closer to a run that he has hinted could be official by the end of April.

Last week, Rep. Ro Khanna, a prominent Democrat from Silicon Valley, announced he would co-chair the 2020 campaign of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

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From California’s political ATM, Harris has been scooping up campaign cash in recent weeks at high-dollar fundraisers in Hollywood and the San Francisco Bay Area, but she must also compete with Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who have both been highly successful fundraisers in the state, for California donors’ attention. And California is now being crisscrossed by candidates like New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who was in Silicon Valley last weekend.

Earlier his month, Harris’ team rounded up the endorsements of 20 state Senate Democrats, including Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins.

Along with the endorsements of four California members of Congress — Barbara Lee, Ted Lieu, Nanette Barragan, and Katie Hill — Harris now has the support of 21 of the state Senate’s 28 Democrats, 75 percent of the caucus. Newsom, Lee and labor/civil rights leader Dolores Huerta serve as California co-chairs for Harris’ campaign.

Kounalakis, the former ambassador to Hungary in the Obama administration, and California’s first female lieutenant governor, said in a statement, “Kamala paved the way for women, including myself, to run for elected office, and win. I couldn’t be more enthusiastic for her presidency.”

State Secretary of State Padilla said Harris, the former state AG, “has been out front on the issues that matter, including defending our right to vote, strengthening our nation’s security, and protecting immigrant communities. As president, she will uphold the American dream.”

Political observers said that Harris‘ early efforts to show her dominance in California are aimed at sending a message to other Democrats in the crowded 2020 race about her strength in the nation’s most populous state.

But some, including veteran Democratic strategist Garry South, have said that Harris’ aggressive efforts to rack up a show of support in her home state don’t guarantee her an advantage in the race, even with the early primary.

“The last [Democratic] Californian who ran for president and won the primary was Jerry Brown — in 1976,’’ he said.

Even as a former governor, Brown, who ran for president three times, failed to win the primary in 1980 and 1992. A more crowded Democratic field and lively competition from four other women in the race so far — Warren, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard — will make it even more challenging for Harris, he said.

Christopher Cadelago contributed to this report.