Vice President Kamala Harris is rallying toward the Democratic nomination for president, securing prominent endorsements from elected officials and the majority of delegates needed to secure her party’s nomination.
On July 21, President Joe Biden announced he would stand down as the Democratic party’s nominee in a letter posted on social media.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
Nearly 30 minutes after his initial announcement, Biden gave his “full endorsement” to Harris in the presidential race.
“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President … it’s been the best decision I’ve made,” Biden said. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.”
Following Biden’s show of support, Harris received endorsements from prominent members of the Democratic Party, including former President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
To date, Harris has received the endorsement of 268 elected officials, including all 23 Democratic governors, 45 U.S. senators, and 200 House members. Additionally, all 50 state Democratic party chairs have personally signaled their support for Harris.
Harris praised Biden for his decades of public service at an address on the White House South Lawn honoring NCAA champions on July 22.
“Joe Biden’s legacy of accomplishment over the past three years is unmatched in modern history,” Harris said. “In one term, he has already surpassed the legacy of most presidents who have served two terms in office.”
Tuesday afternoon, Harris traveled to her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware to meet with campaign staff and supporters.
Harris announced that she would retain two key Biden campaign appointees: Jen O’Malley Dillon as campaign chair and Julie Chávez Rodriguez as campaign manager.
Harris used this initial visit to contrast her record with that of former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee. Harris outlined her experience as vice president, U.S. senator, California attorney general, and a career prosecutor.
“In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds: predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain,” Harris said. “So, hear me when I say: I know Donald Trump’s type.”
In the first 24 hours after launching her campaign, Harris brought in more than $81 million in campaign contributions, with 60 percent of donors making their first contribution. This was the largest single donation period in presidential campaign history, according to a press release from the Harris campaign.
Harris held her first campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 23. Governor Tony Evers and Senator Tammy Baldwin spoke in support of Harris, who was later introduced by Leia Esser, an educator from the state.
Harris took an aim at Trump and his running mate JD Vance’s “extreme” policies, particularly on the issue of abortion access.
“We’ll stop Donald Trump’s extreme abortion bans because we trust women to make decisions about their own bodi[es] and not have the government tell them what to do,” Harris said. “When Congress passes the law to restore reproductive freedoms, as president of the United States, I will sign it into law.”
Harris highlighted her record as a career prosecutor who is running against Trump, who was convicted of 34 felony counts earlier this year.
“I took on perpetrators of all kinds,” said Harris. “Donald Trump ran a for-profit college that scammed students … was found liable for committing sexual abuse … and was just found guilty of fraud on 34 counts.”
Another crucial decision on Harris’s plate is selecting a running mate. According to CNN, a shortlist has emerged including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, among others. The Independent later reported that Shapiro and Kelly emerged as “frontrunners” in the selection process.
Shapiro, Moore, Beshear, Pritzker, and Kelly represent crucial swing states necessary for Harris to win the presidency. Buttigieg gained national attention when he ran for President in 2020 after serving as mayor of South Bend, Ind.
The Democratic National Convention will take place in Chicago, Ill., from Aug. 19 to 22, where the Democratic Party will formally select their presidential nominee.
