Former Vice President Kamala Harris rallied for congressional candidate Richard Pan in Sacramento on Friday, endorsing his bid in a tight race. The campaign stop drew attention when organizers blocked certain news outlets, sparking a finger-pointing dispute between rival teams over credentialing decisions.
Kamala Harris Stumps for Richard Pan in North Natomas
Former Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a nine-minute address in front of roughly 100 people at Richard Pan’s campaign headquarters in North Natomas on Friday afternoon. The brief appearance was designed to formally throw her weight behind Pan’s bid to unseat independent U.S. Representative Kevin Kiley in California’s 6th District.
Harris argued that Kiley was trying to have it both ways politically and urged voters not to fall for it. She framed Pan, a pediatrician and former state senator, as a proven candidate with a solid healthcare record who gives local voters a substantive choice.
Data from the California Secretary of State’s office shows that a quintet of Democratic hopefuls amassed 55.7% of the ballots in the June primary, whereas the Cook Political Report noted that both Kiley and Pan moved forward having each secured under 25% of the vote. However, a September poll found Kiley and Pan locked in a near-tie at roughly 37% support each among 927 likely voters, indicating the contest has tightened significantly ahead of November.
Credentialing Disputes Erupt Outside Campaign Headquarters
While several media organizations attended the public appearance, the event drew controversy after Kamala Harris and Richard Pan blocked some journalists from covering the stop. KCRA 3 and The New York Times were excluded from the guest list, while reporters from The Sacramento Bee, the Los Angeles Times, and local television stations gained access.
Typically for high-profile events, journalists are notified and have the opportunity to apply for credentials, but that was not the situation for this event with the former vice president. Selected news organizations received invitations strictly through a direct phone call or email informing them of their admission. The two campaigns immediately traded blame over the exclusions. A spokesman for Pan’s campaign told KCRA 3 on Friday night that the decision to exclude not just KCRA 3 but also The New York Times was at the direction of Kamala Harris’ office, stating, All credentialing to the campaign office drop was directed by VP Kamala Harris’ office.
An anonymous source associated with Harris’ staff rejected the assertions, maintaining that press operations were managed entirely by Pan’s team.
Pan Denies Excluding Media from Campaign Gathering
On Saturday, Pan organized a separate gathering alongside Democratic U.S. Representative Ami Bera alongside various other Sacramento-region candidates seeking down-ballot positions.
When repeatedly asked by KCRA 3 if excluding journalists from his event was the right move as President Donald Trump has tried to exclude some news organizations from covering the White House, Pan would not answer the question and falsely said his campaign didn’t exclude media outlets, stating, We had media there,
and adding, I don't handle the details of the press.