Ami Bera endorses Kamala Harris for Senate seat

WASHINGTON: Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera has said he will support California Attorney General Kamala Harris for her 2016 Senate race as she speaks for the middle class and if elected would become the first-ever Indian American Senator.

"As a fellow lifelong Californian, I'm proud to support Kamala Harris in her campaign for the US Senate," said Bera, the only Indian American Congressman in the current Congress.

If elected Harris, 50, would be the first Senator of Indian-American descent in the US Senate.

"She is a defender of the middle class and has a strong record of standing up for women's rights. I can't think of a better role model for my own daughter," Bera said.

"As the only Indian American in Congress, I'm also excited for what her election would mean for the Indian American community; if elected, she'd be the first Indian American woman in Congress, and the first-ever Indian American Senator," Bera said.

Harris welcomed the endorsement from 49-year-old Bera. "I'm honoured to have Bera's support," she said. "He is a champion of California middle class families on issues like health care and education, a strong proponent of growing our California economy, and a national leader in the Indian American community. I appreciate his strong endorsement and look forward to partnering with him in the future," Harris said.

Harris, who announced her bid for the Senate seat from California in the 2016 elections three weeks ago, has received endorsements from various quarters and like-minded Democrats including Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.