PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus is now throwing its full support behind Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race on Sunday.

This comes two weeks after the caucus put out a statement in support of Biden’s previous decision to stay in the race.

The caucus said Harris is “an accomplished champion of civil rights, environmental protections, reproductive justice, and economic policies which prioritize everyday Americans.”

They also thanked Biden for his decades of services, and said he “put the country first when he made the decision to step aside and again when he confidently endorsed Vice President Harris to continue building upon this administration’s legacy.”

“We honor Joe Biden’s decency and servant leadership,” the VLBC said. “We join him in our unwavering support for Vice President Harris. MAGA extremism against a woman’s right to choose her reproductive healthcare was rejected in Virginia just last November. Virginia will reject MAGA and their extreme Project 2025 agenda again.”

The VLBC added that the Biden-Harris administration “rehabilitated our national infrastructure, lowered prescription drug prices, expanded affordable healthcare, invested in our students, called for historical investments in our HBCUs, relieved millions of hardworking Americans of their student loan debt, passed the first federal gun safety law in decades, lowered unemployment to record rates, and passed the most comprehensive climate and pro-worker legislation in history.”

The caucus says every member that’s serving as a delegate at the 2024 Democratic National Convention has pledged their support. They include:

  • Speaker Don Scott
  • Senator Louise Lucas
  • Senator Mamie Locke
  • Senator Lashrecse Aird
  • Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy
  • Delegate Joshua Cole
  • Delegate Alex Askew
  • Delegate Michael Feggans
  • Delegate Rozia Henson
  • Delegate Charniele Herring
  • Delegate Jeion Ward

The DNC is scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago. While Harris appears likely to be the Democratic nominee, she still has to get about 4,700 Democratic convention delegates to secure the nomination. The DNC is set to discuss how to proceed on Wednesday, including whether there will be an “open convention.”

If elected, Harris would be the first Black woman and woman of South Asian descent to be president.