SACRAMENTO--California’s Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown endorsed state attorney general Kamala Harris’s bid for a U.S. Senate seat on Monday, solidifying her support among party leaders ahead of the state’s June 7 primary.

Ms. Harris could end up facing off against another Democrat, U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, because of California’s primary system, which sends the top two primary vote-getters to the general election regardless of party.

Candidates are vying to fill departing U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer’s seat in a race that could emerge as the state’s first statewide contest between two Democrats.

Polls show Ms. Harris, a 51-year-old from San Francisco who is the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, is the front-runner, with 27% support in an April poll of all likely voters by Field Research. Ms. Sanchez, a 56-year-old Latina from Orange County, was in second place at 14%.

In endorsing Ms. Harris over Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Brown praised her experience as attorney general, saying her background with environmental and business litigation, as well as her experience as the state’s top law enforcement agent gave her a broad background. Mr. Brown was the state’s attorney general before being elected governor in 2010.

“I know what a hell of a lawyer she is—she’s strong, she’s intelligent, she knows what she’s doing,” Mr. Brown said. “Usually, it’s a steppingstone to the governorship, but in this case, it’s a very clear pathway to Washington.”

When Ms. Boxer announced last year that she wouldn’t seek re-election after four terms in office, expectations were high that a number of prominent Democrats and Republicans would rush to compete for her seat. But no nationally known Republican in the crowded field of 34 candidates has emerged. The last California Republican to win election to the U.S. Senate was Pete Wilson in 1982. He was re-elected to a second term before stepping down to become governor.

With the Republican presidential contest over and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders looking to make a stand against front-runner Hillary Clinton in the Golden State, turnout on the Democratic side may be higher than expected. That would increase the odds that the two prominent Democratic women in the race for U.S. Senate will advance to the general. Ms. Sanchez, a member of the more fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, is expected to court independent voters and Republicans if she makes it to the runoff.

The Sanchez campaign declined to comment on Mr. Brown’s endorsement. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Story Date: May 25, 2016