MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Two rising stars of the Democratic Party who are sometimes mentioned as potential presidential contenders in 2020 have injected themselves in Wisconsin’s governor’s race, endorsing separate candidates in the eight-person Democratic primary.

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, of California, got behind state firefighter union leader Mahlon Mitchell on Thursday. That came after U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, of New York, endorsed former state Rep. Kelda Roys earlier this month.

The primary is Aug. 14.

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Harris, in a telephone interview, said Mitchell was the only one of the eight candidates she spoke with, but he won her over with this experience and vision for the state. Harris, who is black, said the fact that Mitchell would be Wisconsin’s first black governor if elected was an “added benefit.”

“First and foremost and the most important thing about electing someone is are they the best person for the job,” Harris said.

Roys would be the state’s first woman governor if elected. She is 39 and Mitchell is 40, making them the two youngest candidates in the race.

Harris, who has endorsed in other state races across the country and recently campaigned in Wisconsin for Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, said Mitchell reached out to her about an endorsement.

“I’ve read and heard about the other candidates and I’m just happy to endorse him,” she said.

Mitchell has had some missteps during the campaign, including comparing himself to a developmentally disabled movie character and telling a crude joke about his wife. Harris said she wasn’t aware of those and other similar incidents involving Mitchell.

“I would probably leave that up to the pundits to decide what that means on the effect of an election,” Harris said. “There are a lot of reasons based on merits and based on his experiences and his intention ... that are really very important and strong.”

Harris said she did not anticipate campaigning with Mitchell in Wisconsin before the primary because her priority was working to help Democratic colleagues in the Senate.

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