The primary-within-the-primary for black support is underway.

On one side, there’s the Congressional Black Caucus, the preeminent group of African-American power brokers representing their districts in Washington. On the other, rank-and-file black voters across the country. And in a field with nearly two dozen contenders, only two candidates are leading in either camp.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is ahead by every conceivable national metric with black voters, a critical demographic essential to winning the Democratic nomination in 2020. But he has a direct competitor for support among Washington’s influential political class in Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), the only black woman competing for the White House who edged ahead of him this week with endorsements from the CBC.