What some prominent Democrats have said about Harris’s position on Biden’s 2024 ticket

Not all Democrats are sold on Vice President Kamala Harris being President Joe Biden’s running mate again in 2024, and a number of prominent party members have given cryptic answers surrounding her status.

Biden’s reelection campaign is looking to squash a recent wave of Harris skepticism coming from Democratic strategists and notable columnists. In an effort to do so, his team is emphasizing coverage of the vice president’s college bus tour, during which she has been warmly received by students. The Biden team has looked to overcome skepticism around poor polling and Washington, D.C., beltway voices in favor of what appears to be strong support for Harris among young voters.

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But the less-than-enthusiastic answers from Democrats still plague her role as Biden’s No. 2.

Here is what Democrats have said about Harris as Biden’s 2024 running mate.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

In January, the senator was asked on local radio whether Biden should run again. Without missing a beat, she said he should. However, she was less sure about Harris. “I really want to defer to what makes Biden comfortable on his team,” Warren said regarding the vice president.

“I’ve known Kamala for a long time. I like Kamala. I knew her back when she was an attorney general and I was still teaching and we worked on the housing crisis together, so we go way back. But they need — they have to be a team, and my sense is they are — I don’t mean that by suggesting I think there are any problems. I think they are,” she continued.

Following the early interview, it was reported that Harris wasn’t returning Warren’s phone calls, signaling a rift between the women.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Fast forward to this month, after Harris’s role in the reelection effort has been more fleshed out, some Democrats are still giving cryptic answers on her being on Biden’s 2024 ticket.

When Pelosi was asked on CNN if Harris is the best running mate for Biden, she said, “He thinks so, and that’s what matters.”

Prompted several times as to whether she, herself, believes Harris is the best option, she avoided the question.

“She’s the vice president of the United States. People say to me, ‘Well, why isn’t she doing this or that?’ I say, ‘Because she’s the vice president.’ That’s the job description. You don’t do that much. You know, you, you’re a source of strength, inspiration, intellectual resource, and the rest, and you — and I think she’s represented our country very well at home and abroad,” Pelosi said.

In a subsequent appearance on MSNBC, Pelosi made the point of emphasizing her support for both Biden and Harris in 2024.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD)

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Raskin similarly avoided several prompts as to whether Harris is the best running mate for Biden this month. “That’s President Biden’s choice. And I think she’s an excellent running mate for President Biden,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

Despite Tapper’s pushing, Raskin wouldn’t say whether Harris is the best running mate for Biden, in his personal opinion.

Later, however, on social media, the Democrat posted, “I’m energetically supportive of the Biden-Harris ticket in 2024 and just returned from a ten-state swing for a clean Democratic sweep. Vice President Harris is a historic and effective VP, and clearly the best match and running mate for President Biden.”

But as some significant Democratic leaders appear hesitant to endorse Harris’s abilities, others are reiterating their support for her as Biden’s running mate.

Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD)

“It’s not only a distraction, it’s offensive,” Moore told CNN last week, referring to members of his party questioning Harris.

Moore is the only current black governor in the country. Regarding the skepticism of Harris, he reminded party members how black Democrats might perceive the criticism. “The attacks on her, they hit different — they hit our ears differently,” he explained. “And I think people should remember that.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA)

Perhaps one of the highest profile Democratic politicians in the country, Newsom has emerged as one of the Biden campaign’s most valuable surrogates. And when it comes to Harris, Newsom didn’t mince words last week when he was asked about her place on the 2024 ticket.

“Of course she is,” he said when asked if she was the best running mate for Biden.

“Biden-Harris administration, master class in terms of performance — bipartisan deals on infrastructure, bipartisan deals on guns and debt ceiling, on the CHIPS and Science Act,” Newsom added.

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He further dispelled speculation of a late presidential run from him, something that has been both speculated and encouraged. “Well, I think the vice president is naturally the one lined up, and the filing deadlines are quickly coming to pass and I think we need to move past this notion that he’s not going to run,” he said.

Newsom will notably be working in tandem with the Biden campaign on the ground in California this week to counter the Republican debate on Wednesday.