BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Democratic Party is backing Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the country after President Joe Biden said he would not be running again. 

The party issued the following statement Sunday afternoon:

“I, and all Louisiana Democrats, would like to thank President Joe Biden for his remarkable leadership. After we win this year’s election, history will remember Joe Biden and his outstanding record of progress for our country, his dedication to American democracy, and as one of the greatest Presidents in the history of America.

We are confident that Joe Biden’s legacy will inspire his successor to preserve and continue to advance his transformative economic, international, and legislative accomplishments, and that he will employ his experience and vast knowledge to ensure that Vice President Kamala Harris will continue to deliver tremendous leadership for our great nation as our next president.

Joe Biden's choice to step aside and endorse Kamala Harris isn’t just a leadership change; it’s a bold statement of our party's future direction. Kamala Harris is now at the forefront of our battle against the extreme right-wing agenda that threatens our democracy, our rights, and our values — and we will honor Joe Biden’s legacy, and the decision that he has made today, by throwing our full support behind her in beating Donald Trump again this November.

We will reunite, realign, and refocus as a party, and continue to advance forward, stronger and more determined than ever.”

Six hours later, the group said they voted to officially endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. 

“We are grateful to President Joe Biden for his remarkable leadership, and we are committed to honoring his legacy by working tirelessly this fall to keep the White House in Democratic hands. I am proud to share that Louisiana’s Democratic delegates will join President Biden in endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as our nominee. It’s time we come together, and by throwing our full support behind her, we can beat Donald Trump again and continue Joe Biden’s legacy of accomplishments and progress for our country. We look forward to a productive, energizing, and historic convention in which we nominate the first black woman as our Democratic nominee.”

The Democratic National Convention runs from Aug. 19 to 22.