Maryland’s top Democrats rushed Sunday to throw their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joseph Biden relinquished the party’s nomination in the face of questions about his age and mental faculties. But a contingent of those who will help choose the new nominee said they want to hear more from the party about next steps before committing to a candidate.

Many of the state’s most influential figures made public pledges to back Harris as the next presidential nominee, highlighting her experience and qualifications in the Democrats’ quest to defeat former Republican President Donald Trump in November.

Support in the state for Harris has come from, among others, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, Rep. Jamie Raskin and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who is running on the Democratic ticket to replace Sen. Ben Cardin, and Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones. The support comes as members of the party around the country are falling in line behind the vice president.

Alsobrooks, in her statement, said Democrats should unite behind a qualified leader.

“Kamala Harris is that leader,” Alsobrooks said. “She will provide a clear and stark contrast to the regressive vision Donald Trump has for this country. She will make this race about the future and the kind of country our children deserve to inherit.” Alsobrooks’ statement went on to say she backs Harris 100%.

Biden, the de facto head of the national Democratic party, gave his full endorsement of Harris on Sunday afternoon in a social media post following his decision to relinquish the nomination. Joining him in supporting Harris are former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, the 2016 nominee.

Gov. Wes Moore, thought by some political observers as a possible presidential or vice presidential candidate, issued a statement Sunday afternoon praising Biden. A source familiar with the governor’s thinking said he would endorse the vice president Monday.

But not all gave their full-throated support Sunday. Former President Barack Obama did not endorse Harris, writing in a blog post that he has “extraordinary confidence” that Democratic Party leaders (of which he is one), will be able to “create a process” for choosing a nominee.

The state party chairman, Ken Ulman, issued a statement praising Biden’s service and record but made no mention of Harris. Several prominent politicians in Maryland released statements, like Ulman’s, that made no mention of the vice president and offered no insight to what should come next.

State Senate President Bill Ferguson, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Reps. David Trone and Steny Hoyer issued statements praising Biden for his work the last 3 1/2 years. None of them made mention of Harris or what they think should happen next for the party.

A spokesperson for Olszewski later said the county executive and congressional candidate would be supporting Harris at the convention. Ferguson and Hoyer both issued additional statements Sunday evening expressing their full support for Harris’s candidacy.

“The very soul of our nation remains on the line, and I am confident that Vice President Harris will lead our party successfully and protect the values American and Maryland families hold dear,” Hoyer said.

Depending on how much support for Harris appears in the coming days, next month’s Democratic National Convention could turn into something akin to a miniature primary in which several presidential hopefuls toss their hats in the ring to lead the party.

Harris said Sunday she is running for president and that her “intention is to earn and win this nomination.”

Scott made his preference for Harris clear Friday at a news conference. He said then that the party risked alienating Black voters, particularly Black women, if it went another direction.

“If you say it should be someone other than the vice president, if you go out and try to make it you, you are running the risk of having your party lose the group of people who have saved this country in election after election after election, in Black women,” Scott said Friday. He doubled down on his support for Harris’ candidacy in a series of social media posts Sunday afternoon, writing online that “now is the time to rally around” Harris.

Ruppersberger called Harris an “excellent candidate” to succeed Biden, but his statement was couched in the uncertainty of whether she would receive the nomination.

“If she becomes the Democratic nominee for President, I am confident Vice President Harris will defend our freedoms and ensure we remain respected on the world stage and safe within our own borders,” Ruppersberger said.

Many of Maryland’s elected Democrats double as delegates for the convention, meaning they will be among those who cast votes to select Biden’s replacement on the ticket. Some, like Baltimore City Comptroller Bill Henry, told The Baltimore Banner they are waiting on guidance for whom they can support in Chicago even if they think highly of Harris’s capabilities.

State Del. Adrian Boafo, whose district includes Prince George’s County, said he too is waiting for further instructions from national party leadership on what’s next. Boafo added he was “optimistic” for the future of the party.

Ovais Bajwa is among the small share of Maryland delegates who were uncommitted to Biden heading into the Democratic National Convention. The Frederick resident had withheld his commitment to Biden over policy disagreements on immigration, student loan forgiveness and the Israel-Gaza war, among other issues, and said Sunday afternoon he was pleased to see the president’s decision.

A U.S. Army veteran who works at Fort Detrick, Bajwa said he hopes the decision could pave a path for a candidate with “new views and new energy,” one who might help to unite the country rather than divide it. Asked who he hopes to see on the ticket, Bajwa said he’d like Harris for president, with former first lady Michelle Obama as her vice president — a combo he acknowledged might be “wishful thinking.”

State Del. Jeffrie Long will be an at-large delegate at the DNC and said in an interview he “unequivocally” stands with Harris as the nominee.

“I think she’s the only one that understands what it takes to beat Donald Trump,” Long said.

Some Baltimore voters expressed concern about whether would-be Democratic voters would coalesce around a Black woman as president. Erin Gray, a North Baltimore resident, said she thought Biden was the Democrats’ best chance at stopping Trump’s return to the White House. The 48-year-old said she thinks Black women like herself will support Harris, but other groups, such as white men, might not do the same.

”I don’t know if [Harris] will win,” she said. “But will she get my vote? There’s no doubt.”

Baltimore Banner reporters Cody Boteler, Saul Pink, Adam Willis, Brenda Wintrode and Pamela Wood contributed to this article.