U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol October 26, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine announced on Thursday that he will be voting for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, a choice he said was driven by seeing the former California senator’s work during their shared time in the high chamber.
King, who regularly caucuses with Democrats, has endorsed Democrats before, including President Joe Biden in 2020.
Highlighting Harris’ ability to ask tough questions, remain calm under pressure and work in a non-partisan manner while not in the public view, King explained his decision in a post on Instagram.
“Twice a week for four years, she sat next to me in the Senate Intelligence Committee — questioning witnesses, sparring with the chairman, and engaging with some really difficult issues in national security,” King wrote. “What made this experience especially relevant was that these exchanges took place almost entirely behind closed doors due the classified nature of most of our work. So I got to see and know her more personally, outside our usual world of cameras and constant attention from the press.”
During that time, King wrote he saw qualities in Harris that he wants in a president.
“She is a tough questioner, always going to the heart of the matter,” King wrote, pointing to Harris’ prior experience as district attorney of San Francisco. “I remember thinking I was glad I was not on the receiving end of some of her questions.”
King also described Harris as quick and whip-smart. “She is steady and calm under stress,” he wrote. “She wasn’t particularly partisan (like the members of our committee generally).”
Concluding his explanation, King wrote that Harris is passionate about two things — “the truth and our democracy.”
Maine’s other U.S. senator, Republican Susan Collins, has said she will not be voting for the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump. As of her last comment on the matter, Collins said earlier this summer that she would be writing in former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for president.The Democrats in Maine’s congressional delegation are not aligned in their presidential endorsements. While U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree has thrown her support behind Harris, U.S. Rep. Jared Golden has declined to endorse a candidate at all.
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