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By Emma Marsden
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Texas's largest newspaper, the Houston Chronicle, has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
After a lengthy criticism of former President Donald Trump, saying that Democratic presidential nominee "Harris' best asset is that she's not Trump," the endorsement, written by the newspaper's editorial board, states: "Beyond her basic qualifications of human decency, self-control and mature leadership skills, her career path from law enforcement to the U.S. Senate to the vice president's office illustrates independence, drive and a steely spine."
Newsweek reached out to the Trump and Harris campaigns via their websites for comment on Friday.
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The newspaper praised Harris' emphasis on health care and business, noting the vice president's commitment to policies that may resonate with Texans, including "expanding access to affordable health care and her detailed plans to support small businesses—a backbone of Houston's economy."
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The editorial board also lauded Harris for being "a champion of federal protections for abortion rights, desperately needed in Texas where an extreme ban doesn't include exceptions for rape or incest or enough protections for women with severe pregnancy complications."
They praised Harris' "assertive and clever" prosecutorial style while accepting her change of stance on other issues, such as fracking and addressed her views on other pressing issues, including immigration.
"She's backed a tough bipartisan border bill that Trump undermined for political gain," the article said.
In the endorsement, Harris was described as having "workable policy ideals" that "would help Americans afford their first homes and provide expanded child tax credits to the parents of newborn babies." On the subject of family, Harris was commended on her role as a "beloved step-parent."
At the end of the article, readers were asked to "consider one question before you cast perhaps the most consequential vote of your lifetime."
The question being: "If the brown floodwaters were rising around your house and the Cajun Navy could only send a small boat, who would you trust to pick you up: Kamala Harris or Donald Trump? We know who we'd trust."
When asked about the thought process behind the Chronicle's endorsement, the newspaper said: "We, as journalists, strive for fairness when evaluating candidates, and on the editorial board, we feel firmly that Donald Trump is not fit for the presidency.
"This decision did not require hours of debate. The question was how to relay this message, how to tell people that this is the right decision for president without inflaming them. We try to find common threads and goals. A leader in moments of a national emergency should bring people together, not separate them."
The Houston Chronicle's staunch endorsement of Harris follows The Philadelphia Inquirer publicly endorsing her in an opinion column titled "Kamala Harris for president, Endorsement" published Friday.
Written by its editorial board, The Philadelphia Inquirer, which has the largest circulation in Pennsylvania, listed several reasons for endorsing the vice president, including Trump's ongoing legal issues, the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, reproductive rights, climate change and more.
The public backings follow the recent controversy surrounding major papers, such as the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post, refusing to endorse either presidential candidate this year.
The Chronicle's endorsement could prove significant in mobilizing voters in Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city. The newspaper's support is seen as a boost for Harris, who has been working to expand Democratic inroads in traditionally conservative areas and secure Texas' 40 electoral votes in what is expected to be an extremely close election.
Update 11/1/24, 5:04 p.m. ET: This article was updated with addditional information.
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