US Vice President Kamala Harris said she is honored to have President Joe Biden's endorsement to be the Democratic Party nominee for the presidency. She added she intends "to earn and win" the nomination.

Harris released a statement on Sunday after Biden announced earlier in the day his intention to drop out of the presidential contest.

Harris pledged that she will do everything in her power to unite the Democratic Party and the nation to defeat Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Harris said that on behalf of the Americans, she thanks Biden for "his extraordinary leadership" as president and for his decades of service to the country.

She said Biden's "remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history." She added that it surpasses the legacy of many presidents who have served two terms in office.