Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, has been named a national co-chair for the Harris-Walz presidential campaign.

Garcia made the announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday.

The congressman, a popular former mayor of Long Beach and a rising star within the Democratic Party, said during a Thursday interview that he is excited to continue his longtime support for Vice President Kamala Harris.

“It’s exciting to be a part of the campaign, but also I’m happy to help,” Garcia said. “I think we’re at a moment in this country where we want to move forward and not go backwards, and so we’re going to work really hard every single day to make sure that Kamala Harris is elected president.”

Other national co-chairs include Reps. Jasmine Crockett and Veronica Escobar from Texas, Sen. Chris Coons from Delaware, and Rep. Steven Horsford from Nevada.

As for what the role entails, Garcia said he and the team of co-chairs will help communicate the Harris-Waltz campaign message to voters. They will work with the campaign to provide leadership, as well as share personal thoughts and what they are hearing from grassroots voters across the country.

“I’m committed to fighting every single day between now and the election to make sure that we get Kamala Harris elected, and I’m going to be traveling coast to coast across the country,” Garcia said. “I’m all in and I think for folks in our community, it’s important for people to get engaged and get involved.”

Garcia has been a supporter of Harris since she was California’s attorney general and worked with her when he was Long Beach’s mayor. Garcia endorsed Harris for president in 2020 and even served as a California state co-chair for her campaign in 2019, though her bid fizzled during the primary, with her current boss, President Joe Biden, ultimately securing the Democratic nomination and winning the White House during that election.

Garcia was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022. Before Garcia was elected, former Congressman Alan Lowenthal represented the 42nd District, which at the time was split between Los Angeles and Orange counties, with the latter portion having strong Republic support. But after the 2020 redistricting cycle, the 42nd District of moved entirely within Los Angeles County, making it a Democratic stronghold.

The 42nd District Garcia now represents comprises Long Beach — the jurisdiction’s most-populous city — and a large swath of south-central Los Angeles County, from Lakewood to Downey to Huntington Park.

Garcia, though, still has his own reelection campaign to worry about in addition to working on behalf of Harris. His opponent during the Nov. 5 presidential election is Republican business owner John Briscoe.

Briscoe, who did not return a request for comment, is the underdog in the race; about 53.5% of registered voters in District 42 are Democrats, with 21.53% having no party preference, as of July 5, according to the California Secretary of State’s office. Republicans accounted for 17.5% of registered voters in the district.

Being a national co-chair, meanwhile, is an opportunity to give back to the country and encourage people to be involved and engaged in making sure the country continues “moving forward,” Garcia said.

“I have brought Vice President Harris to Long Beach multiple times, and she’s got a chance to meet a lot of folks here and across Southern California, so a lot of people that I’m talking to are excited that they remember meeting her,” Garcia said. “It’s a good moment for me, for the campaign, and we’re excited to get her elected.”