Kamala Harris garnered enough state delegations to clinch the Democratic nomination for President within 24 hours of Joe Biden’s decision to step down. Harris easily won 1,976 required on day one of her White House campaign. Commentators suggested that her clear path to the nomination was significantly aided by public statements from senior Democrats whom many analysts expected to be her rivals. California Governor Gavin Newsom, for instance, speedily endorsed Harris, as well as Gretchen Whitmer and others initially expected to throw their hat into the ring.
Ms. Harris visited the Biden campaign headquarters in Delaware and informed staff they would remain on board. She confirmed that campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez will continue in their roles. The Vice President called on her experience as a prosecutor and said she knows “Donald Trump’s type.”
The Harris campaign reportedly raised more than $80 million on the opening day, and she set out her stall, explaining how she intends to take the battle to Mr. Trump. She said the former President is focused on the past and wants to bring America backward. “We believe in a brighter future that makes room for all Americans,” she declared.
Democrats will meet for their annual convention in Chicago in August, where Harris is expected to formally accept her party’s nomination. Party grandees have already given her their backing, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said she is confident Harris can lead the party to victory. Bill and Hillary Clinton endorsed the Vice President, but the Obamas did not immediately get on board. Explaining this, former President Obama’s aides said he is often reluctant to back candidates too quickly.
In Milwaukee, the city that hosted the Republican National Convention, which saw Donald Trump secure his party’s nomination, Harris kicked off her campaign and said America’s future is in Democrat hands. President Biden pledged his support by phone and said he would do whatever the Vice President needed.
