Washington, D.C. – Vice President Kamala Harris has garnered the necessary support from Democratic delegates to become the party’s nominee for the upcoming presidential election against Republican Donald Trump, as per an Associated Press survey. This development follows President Joe Biden’s recent decision to withdraw from the 2024 race, prompting top Democrats to rally around Harris.
The swift consolidation of support behind Harris signifies the party’s effort to move past weeks of internal conflict over Biden’s political future and focus on defeating Trump with just over 100 days remaining until Election Day. Prominent Democratic officials, party leaders, and political organizations have quickly endorsed Harris, and her campaign reported a record-breaking 24-hour fundraising haul on Monday.
State delegations, including those from Texas and Harris’s home state of California, convened late Monday to confirm their support. By the evening, Harris had secured well over the 1,976 delegates needed for a first-ballot victory at the convention, according to the AP tally. No other candidate was named by any delegate contacted by the AP.
California state Democratic Chairman Rusty Hicks noted that 75% to 80% of the state’s delegation participated in a call and unanimously supported Harris. “I’ve not heard anyone mentioning or calling for any other candidate,” Hicks said. “Tonight’s vote was a momentous one.”
Despite this strong backing, the AP has not officially declared Harris the presumptive nominee. Delegates remain free to vote for their preferred candidate at the convention in August or during a potential virtual roll call ahead of the event in Chicago.
Harris responded to the AP’s findings with gratitude, saying she is “grateful to President Biden and everyone in the Democratic Party who has already put their faith in me, and I look forward to taking our case directly to the American people.”
Following a period of uncertainty regarding Biden’s political future, Democrats have demonstrated renewed unity. Speaking to campaign staff in Wilmington, Delaware, Harris acknowledged the tumultuous past few weeks but expressed confidence in her new campaign team. “It is my intention to go out and earn this nomination and to win,” she said. “We must unite our Democratic Party, our nation, and secure this election.”
Harris emphasized themes that will be central to her campaign against Trump, highlighting her background as a prosecutor and her commitment to economic opportunity and abortion access. “Our fight for the future is also a fight for freedoms,” she stated. “The baton is in our hands.”
President Biden, who is recovering from COVID-19, called into the meeting from his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to lend his support. He plans to address the nation about his decision to step aside later this week. “The name has changed at the top of the ticket, but the mission hasn’t changed at all,” Biden said, assuring that he remains committed to campaigning for Harris. “It was the right thing to do,” he added about his decision to step down.
Biden concluded his remarks with a personal message to Harris: “I’m watching you, kid. I love you.”
Harris is set to visit the battleground state of Wisconsin on Tuesday, marking her first major campaign event since announcing her candidacy.
The AP tally is based on interviews with individual delegates, public statements from state parties, and endorsements from delegates. Locking up the nomination is just the first step for Harris, who must now select a running mate and transition Biden’s extensive campaign operation to support her bid for the presidency.
On Sunday, Biden’s campaign formally transitioned to “Harris for President,” with Harris inheriting his staff and substantial war chest. Harris’s campaign reported raising $81 million within the first 24 hours of Biden’s endorsement, a new presidential fundraising record.
High-profile endorsements from figures like Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, and Andy Beshear of Kentucky have left few potential rivals for Harris. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, initially advocating for a primary, has also expressed her “enthusiastic support” for Harris.
If elected, Harris would make history as the first woman and the first person of South Asian descent to become President.
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago. However, the party had planned a virtual roll call to formally nominate Biden before the in-person proceedings. The convention’s rules committee is expected to finalize the nomination process soon, with virtual voting likely to conclude by August 7.
Jaime Harrison, the Democratic National Committee’s chair, assured that the nomination process would be both swift and fair. The virtual roll call will include multiple rounds of voting if necessary, requiring candidates to secure electronic signatures from 300 convention delegates to qualify.
