SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Gov. Jerry Brown is endorsing Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris barely two weeks before California’s June 7 primary election.

Brown said during a brief appearance Monday that Harris is strong, intelligent, experienced and is doing a great job as state attorney general.

Harris is considered the front-runner to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer and previously won the state Democratic Party’s endorsement.

U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez is trying to make the fall campaign a contest between two Democrats. California’s primary advances the top two vote-getters regardless of their political party.

Three Republicans are considered to have the best chance to win a spot on the November ballot among a crowded field. They are former state GOP chairmen Tom Del Beccaro and Duf Sundheim and physicist-turned-software developer Ron Unz.