U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris won a resounding 78 percent of delegates' votes at the state Democratic Party convention in San Jose Saturday, far surpassing the 60 percent needed to win the official endorsement. Her opponent, Orange County Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez trailed badly with just 19 percent of the vote. The rest preferred "no endorsement."
The endorsement gives Harris, who already leads in polls and fundraising, an even bigger advantage in the June 7 primary. Among other things, she'll get to use the party's endorsement in ads, literature and slate cards. But Harris will also benefit from party resources used to mobilize and convince Democrats in the primary.
"I'm incredibly honored to have the endorsement of the California Democratic Party in the U.S. Senate race," Harris said in a written statement, "and I'm so proud of the support our campaign has received from every corner of our state. We know there is more that unites us than divides us, and I'm grateful to the Californians who joined together to send that message this weekend."
Harris traveled the state in recent weeks to lock down delegates' support.