Kamala Harris Secures Democratic Presidential Nomination, Announces Party Chair
Vice President Kamala Harris has clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, according to Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison, who made the announcement on Friday.
Harris is set to make history as the first Black woman and first Asian American to head a major-party ticket. The announcement was made during a virtual event with supporters. Delegates began casting their virtual ballots on Thursday, and the process will continue through Monday evening.
“I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States,” Harris said during the virtual event. “I will formally accept the nomination next week, once the virtual voting period concludes.”
The path to Harris’s nomination became clear after President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign and endorsed her. With Biden’s endorsement, Harris emerged as the sole serious contender for the nomination. It took less than 36 hours for her to secure unofficial endorsements from enough delegates to secure her position as the party’s nominee.
Harris is the only candidate who managed to collect the 300 delegate signatures required to qualify for the ballot.
This nomination contrasts sharply with Harris’s previous presidential run in 2020, when she withdrew from the race before the Iowa caucuses. Following her withdrawal, Biden selected her as his running mate, setting the stage for her to lead the party after his departure from the race last month.
Over the past two weeks, Harris has been restructuring the campaign she inherited on a tight timeline. Her campaign reported a record-breaking $310 million in July fundraising, surpassing the amount raised by Republican nominee Donald Trump’s campaign for the same period.
Harris is also in the final stages of selecting her running mate. Sources indicate she is expected to meet with top contenders over the weekend, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Next week, Harris and her running mate will campaign across key battleground states, starting with a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday night. Although the official voting process for the vice presidential nominee is not required separately, delegates will conduct a ceremonial roll call during the Democratic convention in Chicago, which begins on August 19.
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