A group of female attorneys general is throwing its support behind the presidential bid of former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, who served as California Attorney General from 2011 to 2017.
The group includes 29 current and former attorneys general from 24 states and U.S. territories. It’s made up of all Democrats, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.
The group “takes particular pride that one of ‘ours’—a former distinguished state attorney general— has been tapped as the candidate for the second highest office in the land,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a statement.
Frankie Sue Del Papa, who served as Nevada Attorney General from 1991 to 2003, said the group’s decision to back the ticket stemmed from long-term relationships and familiarity with Harris’ work. Attorneys general convene in Washington, D.C. annually to discuss their work and often work together on multi-state lawsuits.
Del Papa said the attorneys general were impressed by Harris’ work on the 2012 National Mortgage Settlement, which ended in five banks reaching an agreement to pay $25 billion to 49 states and the federal government over mortgage loan servicing abuses during the 2007 foreclosure crisis.
“August 18 is an incredibly special day, particularly this year, being the 100th anniversary of the Suffrage Amendment. Former women Attorneys General thought it’d be really appropriate to not only endorse the ticket, but Harris, who many of us have served with and know,” Del Papa said.
Aug. 18 marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women in the United States the right to vote, 133 years after the signing of the Constitution. Many women of color were prevented from casting ballots until the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Harris will formally accept her nomination as former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate during Democrats’ virtual convention on Wednesday.
