Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris' candidacy to become the 2024 Democratic nominee for president. The endorsement came in an exclusive interview with NBC New York.
"I support Kamala Harris," Lamont said. "I think she's going to be a great nominee. I think she's going to win and I look forward to working with her as long as I'm governor."
News 4's Andrew Siff asked, "Is that a full-throated endorsement?"
"I think it is," Lamont responded.
On Sunday, Lamont released a statement on social media saying he believed Harris was the frontrunner for the nomination, but did not at that time, endorse her.
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The Connecticut governor called President Joe Biden's decision to step aside "selfless" and said he was "putting the country first."
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Lamont joined his fellow tri-state governors, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who had endorsed Harris on Sunday.
"There can be an open process, but the party will be with Kamala Harris," Hochul told News 4's David Ushery. "If other people want to say they had their moment in the sun and they want to put their name forward, I mean this is democracy, but it's going to be Kamala Harris."
Murphy said he spoke with the vice president on Sunday but declined to answer when News 4 asked if he was asked about being vetted to become Harris' running mate.
"I just want to take this opportunity to salute the extraordinary public service career of President Joe Biden and to say how thrilled I am that Kamala Harris is overwhelmingly likely to be our nominee. I've endorsed her," Murphy said. "These are two great publlic servants. For the time being, I've got my hands full in the great state of New Jersey and I'm loving my day job."
News 4 spoke exclusively in-studio with the three governors for an unrelated upcoming series about teenage mental health and cellphone usage.
After Biden announced his decision Sunday to no longer run for the nomination, the president endorsed Harris to become his successor.
