Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) told reporters Monday that she’s “not a Democratic socialist,” distancing herself from some fellow 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls who are farther left.
Harris spoke in response to a question about being able to win in New Hampshire where self-described Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) won over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.
"Well, the people of New Hampshire will tell me what's required to compete in New Hampshire, but I will tell you I am not a Democratic socialist," Harris told reporters during her first trip to the state as a candidate. "I believe that what voters do want is they want to know that whoever is going to lead understands that in America today not everyone has an equal opportunity and access to a path to success. And that that has been building up over decades and we've got to correct course."
2020 Watch: @KamalaHarris -in NH-asked about having to move to the left to compete with @BernieSanders - tells @pdoocy “I am not a Democratic socialist” #nhpolitics #FITN #2020election pic.twitter.com/hrMAAxCyp3
— Paul Steinhauser (@steinhauserNH1) February 18, 2019
"When we have an America where almost half of American families cannot afford a $400 emergency, we know that we've got to do some course correction,” she continued. “When we have an America where 99 percent of the counties in the United States of America, if you're a minimum wage worker working full time, you can't afford market rate for a one bedroom apartment, we need to course correct, and those are my commitments in terms of being able to be in a position where one, I see it, but also I intend to do something."
Sen. Sanders formally announced that he would be running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday and has reportedly already raised $1 million.
While Sanders boasted Tuesday that his Democratic socialist policy ideas have become “mainstream,” another Democratic hopeful, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), distanced herself from such far-left proposals.
“I am not for free four-year college for all, no," she said during a CNN town hall Monday. “I wish — if I was a magic genie and could give that to everyone and we could afford it, I would. I’m just trying to find a mix of incentives and make sure kids that are in need — that’s why I talked about expanding Pell Grants — can go to college and be able to afford it and make sure that people that can’t afford it are able to pay."
Klobuchar also voiced her opposition to “Medicare for All.”