OAKLAND, Calif. — Sen. Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has scored endorsements from a major roster of legislators in California in a bid to cement an early advantage in her delegate-rich home state.

The new endorsements come from 20 state Senate Democrats, including Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, and follow endorsements of Harris from three California members of Congress: Reps. 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.


“My campaign is about returning power to the people in this country, and these leaders represent California’s diversity and reflect the broad commitment we share to move our state and our nation forward,’’ Harris said in a statement provided first to POLITICO. “This level of support from my home state of California makes me so proud, and I am honored to have them fighting beside me.”

The new endorsements, two weeks after an estimated 22,000 people attended Harris’ Oakland campaign launch, underscore the senator’s campaign strategy of amassing widespread support in her home state in advance of next year's March 3 primary. Harris is currently the only Californian in the presidential race, though East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell has strongly hinted he may enter the race soon.

Reaching California’s 8.5 million Democratic voters spread across eight major media markets will be an expensive process for the presidential candidates — and candidates who have prepared the ground and racked up local backing at the district level will come in with an advantage.

Atkins, in a statement, called Harris “a dogged fighter for working families her entire career,’’ adding that “while serving California, she has defended civil rights and stood up to the forces that would divide us or take us backwards.’’

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Atkins added that Harris “has been a strong proponent of criminal justice reforms, protecting homeowners and immigrant communities, and strengthening the middle class. As president, I know she will continue to prioritize the needs of all the people.”


In addition to Atkins, Harris announced support from state Sens. Bob Archuleta, Jim Beall, Steven Bradford, Anna M. Caballero, Bill Dodd, Cathleen Galgiani, Robert M. Hertzberg, Jerry Hill, Ben Hueso, Hannah-Beth Jackson, Connie M. Leyva, Mike McGuire, Holly J. Mitchell, Bill Monning, Richard Pan, Anthony J. Portantino, Richard D. Roth, Susan Rubio, Nancy Skinner and Scott Wiener.

Harris has also been crisscrossing her home state this month, picking up campaign cash at high-end fundraisers in Hollywood and San Francisco — two of the nation’s biggest and most reliable campaign ATMs for Democratic office-seekers. Last week, Harris starred at two fundraisers — one at the home of Universal’s Jeff Shell, the other at the home of David Cooley, the founder of West Hollywood bistr, The Abbey. This weekend, she’ll be hosted by Susie Tompkins Buell, the San Francisco-based powerhouse Democratic donor who backed Hillary Cllinton and recently publicly endorsed Harris.

Meanwhile, a new Quinnipiac poll suggests that while Harris’ job approval is rating is high among Californians overall, people in her state are split on whether she would make a good president —- with 40 percent saying yes and 38 percent saying no.


Sixty-eight percent of California Democrats said Harris would be a good president, while 75 percent of Republicans and 42 percent of independent voters said she would not. The poll also found that Californians are just as excited about Joe Biden entering the presidential race as they are about Harris, with 60 percent positive about a Biden campaign compared to 58 percent who are positive about a Harris presidential campaign.