Statement From Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins In Response To Kamala Harris' Groundbreaking Vice Presidential Candidacy

From her service as a district attorney to her election to the United States Senate, Kamala Harris has been breaking barriers her entire career. Tonight, she added another achievement to that long list with her historic nomination to be our next vice president. For the first time, Black and Indian girls across the country can see themselves in a candidate for the second-highest office in the land.

In 2019, I became the first woman and first Black woman to lead a chamber in the New York State Legislature. And these are not just symbolic victories. In this year of challenges, we’ve been able to respond effectively to the twin crises of the pandemic and a reckoning with racism because, in New York, the faces of our government look like the faces I see in our community. Representation is crucial, and our government does not work without it.

“So on this night, I’m thankful for Senator Harris, who has blazed a path for a new generation of incredible leaders and advocates. I’m also thankful for all the men and women who came before us and fought so that we could walk the halls of power in this nation. I’m so proud to support this ticket tonight, and I can’t wait to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the next president and vice president of this country.”