In 1796 after serving two terms as President of the United States, George Washington faced a momentous decision. Winding down his second term, which he had reluctantly accepted due to foreign conflicts and political instability typical of a new nation, he made the choice to decline seeking a third term and instead retire to life as a private citizen at Mount Vernon. At this time, he believed our new country was stable and ready for leadership to pass on to someone new.
Just ten weeks before the presidential electors were to cast their votes in the election, Washington’s Farewell Address was published nationwide. Many Americans had hoped that Washington would remain president for life and feared that his absence from leadership would bring about political upheaval. This remarkable document was not only aimed to assuage citizens about America’s future without Washington, but also to offer advice on what he viewed as the greatest future threats to our country. Notably, Washington closed his address by reflecting on his more than 45 years in public service and admitted that while he never intentionally made any mistakes during his presidency, it is still likely that he made many. He hoped that his fellow Americans would forgive these failures and that history would remember his devoted service fondly. This incredibly American decision eventually evolved into the modern 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which was ratified in 1951 and limits presidents to two terms.
On Sunday, history was made again when President Joe Biden made the selfless decision to end his presidential campaign, demonstrating his unwavering dedication to our nation. Instead, he will turn his focus entirely on fulfilling his duties as president for the remainder of his term. Over the past three and a half years, President Biden has led our country through unprecedented challenges, achieving remarkable milestones: from strengthening our economy and expanding healthcare access to enacting historic climate legislation and safeguarding our democracy. His leadership has been a beacon of hope for our planet.
I commend President Biden for his integrity and commitment to our nation's best interests. His decision reflects the very essence of true leadership—putting the needs of the country and the American people above all else. Thank you, President Biden, for your nearly 50 years of public service, your vision, and your tireless dedication to making America a better place for all. We will continue to build on your legacy and work together to create a brighter future.
Immediately following the release of his letter he announced his endorsement of his Vice President, Kamala Harris, to replace him as the Democratic nominee for president - an action I wholeheartedly support. She will be a strong candidate and a great president should the American people elect her.
Vice President Harris’s career path has marked many “firsts”: she was the first Indian American senator, California’s first female and South Asian attorney general, the first woman, and first Black or Asian American person to be elected vice president. And now, she is poised to become the first female president. But aside from these historic firsts, Harris in her own right is a supremely capable and uniquely qualified candidate for our nation’s highest office.
Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, to Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher from India, and Donald Harris, an economist from Jamaica. Both her parents were passionate about the civil rights movement, and they often took young Kamala along with them to protests. As a first grader, she was bused to a predominantly white elementary school during its second year of integration. She often visited India as a child and was heavily influenced by her grandfather, who fought for Indian independence, and her grandmother, an activist who traveled the countryside teaching impoverished women about birth control.
After high school, she attended Howard University, majoring in political science and economics. Harris returned to California to attend law school, and in 1990 she became an assistant district attorney in Oakland focusing on prosecuting sex crimes. Later, in the San Francisco district attorney’s office, she reformed law enforcement’s approach on teenage prostitution to focus on girls as crime victims.
Harris won her first campaign to become San Francisco district attorney in 2003. Under her leadership, San Francisco’s conviction rate jumped from 52 to 67%. She was an early advocate against the death penalty and championed programs to help nonviolent first-time drug offenders get education and job training to prevent them from re-offending.
In 2010, she was elected attorney general of California, overseeing the largest state justice department in the United States. Her office took on predatory for-profit colleges and also secured a nearly $20 billion settlement from banks for affected homeowners following the 2008 foreclosure crisis. She also created Open Justice, an online platform to make criminal justice data available to the public. This database helped improve police accountability by collecting information on the number of deaths and injuries of those in police custody.
As vice president, she has played a critical role in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, investing in good-paying union jobs, bringing manufacturing back to America, lowering prescription drug costs, and raising wages. Harris has been a fierce advocate for reproductive freedom and abortion rights. In her role as president of the Senate, she has set a new record for the most tie-breaking votes cast by a vice president.
My endorsement of Kamala Harris for president is not just an endorsement of a candidate but an affirmation of our values as Democrats. It is a recognition of the need for a leader who understands the struggles of all Americans and is committed to creating a fairer, more just society. I urge my fellow Virginians to join me in supporting Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Her leadership, vision, and dedication to service are precisely what our nation needs in these pivotal times. Together, we can continue to build on the progress we've made and work towards a brighter, more inclusive future for all. This is a moment of historic significance and a testament to the enduring strength of our democratic ideals that our first president, George Washington, embodied all those years ago.