Vice President Kamala Harris has been able to gain the support of enough Democratic delegates to become her party’s nominee against Republican Donald Trump. This came after President Joe Biden announced his decision to drop out of the presidential race. Harris was quickly endorsed by Biden and worked to secure the support of her party’s donors, elected officials, and other leaders. The Associated Press survey indicates that Harris has the backing of more than the required 1,976 delegates needed to win on the first ballot, making her the clear choice to replace Biden at the top of the ticket.
Although the AP survey does not officially declare Harris as the new presumptive nominee, as delegates can still vote for their preferred candidate at the convention in August, Harris had secured at least 2,214 delegates by Monday night. Biden’s decision to step down was prompted by concerns about his fitness for office following a debate with Trump and a revolt among party leaders and donors. The quick support for Harris reflects a united effort by the party to move past the drama surrounding Biden’s political future and focus on defeating Trump with just over 100 days until Election Day.
The AP tally was conducted based on interviews with individual delegates, statements from state parties, many of which have announced their support for Harris, and public endorsements from delegates. Locking up the nomination was just the first step in Harris’ long to-do list after learning of Biden’s exit from the race. She must now select a running mate and transition a political operation that was initially built to reelect Biden to now support her candidacy. Biden’s campaign has officially changed its name to Harris for President, signifying that Harris is taking over his political operation, which includes over 1,000 staff members and a substantial war chest.
After Biden’s endorsement, Harris raised an additional $81 million in the first 24 hours, setting a new presidential fundraising record. This brought her total campaign funds to nearly $96 million at the end of June, with contributions from over 888,000 donors. If elected, Harris would be the first woman and the first person of South Asian descent to hold the office of the President of the United States. This historic moment for Harris comes amid a significant shift in the political landscape following Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race and support her as the Democratic nominee against Trump in the upcoming election.
