State level Democratic lawmakers are reacting to the news that Vice President Kamala Harris could be topping the ticket this fall. 

If she is the Democratic nominee, she would be the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a presidential ticket, and if elected, she would be the first female president. Already the first female vice president, some lawmakers are already talking about how Harris could continue to make history.

As state Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, chair of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, reflected on Harris’ sudden entrance into the race, her mind turned to the significance of representation for voters.

“To be able to have someone in the Oval Office that looks like us, that speaks like us,” she said. “To have a candidate that is a woman, that is Black, that is of Asian descent, that represents the experience that the average American has.”

State Sen. Jeremy Cooney also noted the gravity of the vice president’s candidacy.

“What a historic moment,” he said.

He too sees it as more than that. He emphasized that it is also an opportunity to reach Asian Americans, who Pew Research calls the fastest-growing group of eligible voters in the United States.

“I’m excited about the civic engagement that will bring to New Yorkers and Americans who reflect a different cultural identity than those before,” he said.

State Sen. Samra Brouk, meanwhile, noted the importance of the moment, but was careful to stress that Harris’ record should be front and center.

“It’s really the fact that she has the chops for this position and has shown that by being such an incredible partner to President Biden,” she said.

Asked how she thinks Harris should navigate her historic place at the intersection of race and gender in politics, Solages sent a clear message.

“I would advise Vice President Harris to be authentic self, to talk about the issues at hand which she’s always championed such as the maternal mortality crisis, talk about the issues that she already is working on,” she said.

In the coming weeks it will also be up to the Harris campaign to decide how much they discuss the unprecedented nature of her candidacy, something that Hillary Clinton was criticized for largely avoiding in 2008.