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VP Kamala Harris departs Sacramento after Thursday visit

Harris speaks at Democratic Party event during Sacramento visit
Harris speaks at Democratic Party event during Sacramento visit 01:43

SACRAMENTO – The vice president of the United States visited Sacramento on Thursday for a Democratic Party event.

Kamala Harris was already in California on Wednesday for a campaign reception in Manhattan Beach. She landed in Sacramento late Thursday morning and was greeted by local leaders and supporters like Sacramento mayor Darrell Steinberg and state Attorney General Rob Bonta.

During Harris' few hours in the capital city, she spoke at the California Legislature Democratic Caucus reception at the Leland Stanford Mansion in downtown Sacramento.

Harris didn't hold back on the importance of the upcoming election.

"This is going to be an extraordinary year of extraordinary consequence, and I know you know that. We are looking at an election that is coming up that is without any question existential," she said at the event.

Harris posted to social media after she departed from Sacramento.

"From environmental justice to workers' rights to marriage equality, California has led our nation in the fight for progress for generations. As a proud daughter of California, it was great to be in Sacramento today with state legislators who are on the frontlines of this work," she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

While Democrats welcomed Harris, California Republicans disagreed with the notion that the Biden-Harris ticket is the answer for 2024. Some called on Harris to do more for her home state.

"We're getting crushed right now. With the highest cost in a generation, your policies add to those costs," Assemblymember James Gallagher said. "We're losing jobs in this state."   

Harris served as California's attorney general and as U.S. senator before she was selected as Joe Biden's running mate in the 2020 election.

The vice president departed Sacramento on Air Force Two late Thursday afternoon and will return to Southern California.

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