Vice President Joe Biden is expected to endorse California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris for U.S. Senate, according to a source familiar with his decision.
The endorsement from a standing Democratic vice president would be a political coup for Harris, the Senate front-runner, and a major blow to her challenger, Rep. Loretta Sanchez.
Both Harris and Sanchez are Democrats. Biden, a former senator from Delaware, served with Sanchez for 12 years on Capitol Hill before becoming President Barack Obama's running mate.
Representatives from the Harris campaign said they were not aware of Biden disclosing his intentions. An endorsement from the vice president would only add to Harris' solid support among the Democratic establishment. Harris already received the endorsements of Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and the California Democratic Party.
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, who is among the many California Democrats in Congress who support Sanchez, said news of a potential Biden endorsement was a topic of conversation on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Roybal-Allard said she would be disappointed if the endorsement happens. She said Sanchez has been a strong and loyal supporter of the Obama administration.
"I'm a little perplexed about why (Biden) would be getting involved in a race in California, especially when two Democrats are running," Roybal-Allard said.
Harris worked with Biden's son Beau Biden on a number of issues when he served as Delaware's attorney general. Both helped negotiate the $25 billion nationwide settlement with the nation's five largest mortgage institutions for improper foreclosure practices during the housing market crash.
Beau Biden died in May 2015 after being diagnosed with brain cancer. He was 46. Harris was among those who attended his memorial service.
Obama and Biden have waded into intraparty battles in the past. Both endorsed Pennsylvania Attorney General Katie McGinty for Senate in that state's Democratic primary election, as well as U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy for Senate in Florida's Democratic primary.
