Pete Buttigieg & other LGBTQ+ politicians coalesce in support of Kamala Harris

As the nation learns today that President Joe Biden just dropped out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, many LGBTQ+ politicians have thrown their support behind Harris.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay man to lead a presidential campaign and win a state’s primary, said on X, “I will do all that I can to help elect @KamalaHarris the next President of the United States.”

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“J.D. Vance and Donald Trump are going to lose in November and Donald Trump is going to regret picking J.D. Vance.”

In a statement posted to the app, he continued, “Kamala Harris is now the right person to take up the torch, defeat Donald Trump, and succeed Joe Biden as President. I have seen her extraordinary leadership firsthand, working closely with her during the 2020 campaign and then in the historically effective Biden-Harris administration.”

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I will do all that I can to help elect @KamalaHarris the next President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/bHkiqpa7Lg

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) July 21, 2024

Some people have expressed support for a possible Harris-Buttigieg ticket as the current vice president looks for a running mate.

Prominent LGBTQ+ politicians have also come out in support of Harris. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the first gay immigrant elected to Congress, was among the first to endorse Harris publicly.

“It’s been an honor to support @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris from day one. Now we must unite around our Vice-President and defeat Donald Trump. I’m all in, are you? Let’s go!” he said, sharing a few pictures of himself with Harris.

In the 2020 primary we worked like hell to elect our Senator Kamala Harris as President. It was an honor to serve as a campaign co-chair and travel the country for her. When she withdrew we got behind Joe Biden. Now we are going to support them both by electing her President. pic.twitter.com/UY3fU48WJK

— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) July 21, 2024

Jared Polis, the governor of Colorado, also posted in support of Harris as the presidential nominee and referenced the viral video of her saying, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” with, as The Guardian put it, “a hearty laugh, then a somber tone of voice and pause that sounded heavy with the knowledge of all the world’s tortured philosophers.”

🥥 🌴 🇺🇸

— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) July 21, 2024

Polis posted the following on X, a heartfelt statement casting his support behind Harris, with the coconut and coconut tree emoji.

pic.twitter.com/oSqOfgk3Gb

— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) July 21, 2024

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA) put out a statement in support of Biden dropping out but did not endorse Harris. However, she was in attendance at Harris’ star-studded Provincetown event this weekend. The same is true for governor of Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D), who wrote a statement thanking Biden for his service but with no mention of Harris.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) endorsed Harris. “President Joe Biden’s selfless decision to step aside for a new generation of leadership—Vice President Kamala Harris—is an act of Washingtonian statesmanship,” he posted on X.

In another post, he pushed back against suggestions that Senator Joe Manchin run for president, writing, “Kamala Harris will be the Democratic Nominee.”

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) called for Biden to drop out last week and has thrown his support behind Harris.

“I know there will be lots and lots of conversations to happen in the coming hours and days,” he said. “But certainly have every confidence in the vice president should she be the nominee.”

Out Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) also endorsed Harris in a statement. “I am pleased to join New Hampshire’s elected delegates to the Democratic National Convention in endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to become our next President. Vice President Harris is an accomplished prosecutor and public servant, and I’m confident in her ability to defeat Donald Trump and his extremist agenda, and move our country forward.”

Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) lauded Biden’s decision to drop out but stopped short of endorsing Harris.

In the Senate, Arizona’s Krysten Sinema, an independent, has not endorsed Harris. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) said in a statement, “We must do everything that we can to ensure Vice President Harris succeeds. There’s no one better prepared for this challenge.”

Likewise, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) told supporters she would support Harris as well. “I saw her, day after day, hold powerful organizations to account, powerful individuals to account, in her role on the Senate Judiciary Committee,” Baldwin said. “And I’ve seen her as vice president. She’s prepared, and I’m very proud to endorse her.”

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