and President Biden retreats California will likely play a key role in selecting the presidential candidate. New Democratic CandidateIn this state, Most RepresentedThe letter was addressed to delegates to the Democratic National Convention and Vice President Kamala Harris, a former U.S. senator who owns a home in Los Angeles.

Hours after Biden endorsed Harris on Sunday, California Democratic Party leaders began the process of reserving the state's 496 delegates for a running mate. State Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks sent out papers urging delegates to endorse Harris.

“Now is the time for Democrats to unite around our shared mission: defeating Donald Trump, taking back the House of Representatives and defending our democracy,” Hicks said. “I am asking the delegates of Vice President Kamala Harris' great home state of California to formally endorse Harris for president of the United States at our convention in Chicago.”

San Francisco Democrats, including Mayor London Breed, hastily organized a rally in support of Harris on the steps of City Hall on Monday morning.

California's potential for political influence at the national level comes after a period of decline in the state's power.

For many years, Californians have enjoyed seats at the highest echelons of power. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) became the most powerful woman in congressional history as speaker of the House, followed by her Republican successor, Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of San Francisco became the longest-serving female senator in U.S. history and served on powerful committees.

But over the past two years, California's power has eroded rapidly. Got off McCarthy stepped down as speaker to make room for a “new generation” of Democratic leaders in 2022. He lost the speakership in a historic feud with his own party and later resigned from Congress. Feinstein died in September.

If Harris, an Oakland native who served as California's senator and attorney general before becoming vice president, becomes the Democratic nominee, she would be the first Californian to be on a major party's presidential nomination in decades.

While it's possible that another Democrat will emerge from the Chicago convention to compete for the party's nomination, California's delegate base will be crucial to winning the nomination, and several California political leaders have already called on Democrats to support Harris. Including Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“Tough. Fearless. Tenacious,” Newsom said in a statement on social media. “At a time when our democracy and future are at stake, there is no one better suited than the Vice President of the United States to denounce Donald Trump's dark vision and steer our country in a healthier direction.”

Newsom is widely Another possible alternative For Biden, who has repeatedly denied rumors that he has presidential ambitions, the governor Surrogate Mother For the Biden team, Travelling across the country She campaigned for him and gained national recognition for herself.

But as speculation surrounding Biden has grown in recent weeks, Newsom made it clear he would not be running against Harris. “Absolutely,” Newsom said recently when asked if he had kept his word from last year that he would not run against Harris. “Yes, absolutely.”

California Sens. Alex Padilla and LaFonza Butler also endorsed Harris.

“She's a woman who has dedicated her entire career to public service,” Butler said in an interview Sunday. “She's a woman who has never run away from a fight.”

Notably absent from the list of Harris supporters on Sunday was Pelosi, who praised Biden as “a patriotic American who has always put country first” but did not mention the vice president by name.

The former speaker has reportedly fielded calls in recent weeks from Democrats upset over Biden's dismal debate performance and concerned about his chances of reelection. Pelosi told California Democrats last week that she wanted the party to choose a new nominee in an open process, rather than automatically nominating Harris. Politico reported.

Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, said he is confident Harris will be the nominee, but some Democrats are debating the best way to make that happen.

“There are some national Democratic leaders who, while very supportive of Kamala Harris, feel very strongly that there needs to be some kind of process,” Huffman said.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), a close ally of Ms. Pelosi and another leader in the California Legislature, quickly endorsed Ms. Harris. Schiff He was the top congressional leader to call on Biden to back down last week.

“She has the judgment, experience, leadership and tenacity to challenge and defeat Donald Trump,” Schiff said in a statement Sunday. “I worked with her when she was attorney general, senator and vice president, and I can't wait to work with her as president.”

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), who supported Harris' 2020 presidential candidacy and serves on Biden's national campaign committee, said he was “proud to endorse the vice president.”

“This is an incredible step forward and a great day, especially for California,” he said. “The whole state and the party are united behind her and I think she will be the nominee within the next few days.”

California politicians are backing Harris, but the delegate tally may still be a toss-up. Steve Maviglio, a Sacramento alternate delegate and Democratic political consultant, said the delegates he's spoken to are united in wanting to beat Trump in November. The consensus, he said, is that they want a “smooth transition from the Biden team to the Harris team.”

“I don't think there's much interest in a mini-primary or another four weeks of chaos,” Maviglio said. “We want to get this done, let's stay focused!”

“It's virtually impossible for another candidate to emerge in the next four months to take on Trump head-on,” she added. Biden's campaign finances have already been transferred to Harris, who, as vice president, already has close ties to major Democratic donors.

“It's weird that people look back and say, 'This is historic,' but it feels like we're actually living through history right now. It's a really weird feeling,” Maviglio said. “Hopefully this doesn't come back to haunt us later.”

Times reporters Noah Bierman and Seema Mehta contributed to this report.