US Vice-President Kamala Harris Clinches Democratic Presidential Nomination
In a historic moment, US Vice-President Kamala Harris has secured the Democratic presidential nomination in a vote of party delegates. This makes her the first black woman and first South Asian woman to become the White House standard-bearer for a major US political party.
Harris ran unopposed in the virtual roll call after President Joe Biden stepped aside last month and endorsed her. She quickly garnered the support of 2,350 delegates, surpassing the threshold required to earn the nomination.
“We believe in the promise of America and that’s what this campaign is about,” Harris said in brief remarks by phone as she crossed the benchmark. “We are in this, we are on the road and it’s not going to be easy, but we’re going to get this done.”
The virtual roll call began on Thursday and ends on Monday, with Democrats indicating that 99% of the participants plan to vote for Harris. The relatively late date of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) risks falling afoul of state ballot access laws, prompting the decision to hold the nominating process earlier.
Harris, 59, has a strong political background, rising from San Francisco district attorney to California attorney general and then US senator. She is expected to name her running mate by Monday.
The Trump campaign and some Republicans have criticized the substitution of Biden with Harris, but she has hit the campaign trail hard since receiving the endorsement, raising over $310 million in July alone. This fundraising success marks the biggest haul of the 2024 election cycle so far, surpassing the Trump campaign’s fundraising efforts.
