WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has won enough Democratic delegates to become her party’s nominee against Republican Donald Trump. Associated Press SurveyFollowing President Joe Biden’s decision to drop his re-election bid, top Democrats rallied to him.
The quick rally behind Harris marked the party’s attempt to put weeks of drama over Biden’s political future behind them and unite behind the task of defeating Trump with more than 100 days until Election Day. Prominent Democratic Party officials quickly elected party leaders and political organizations Lined up behind Harris The day after Biden dropped out of the race and his campaign set a new 24-hour record for presidential donations on Monday.
Several state representatives met late Monday to pledge their support to Harris, including Texas and his home state of California. By Monday night, Harris had the support of 1,976 delegates, according to an AP count that would have required him to win the first ballot. No other candidate was named by a representative contacted by AP.
California Democratic State Chairman Rusty Hicks said 75% to 80% of the state’s delegates were on Tuesday’s call and unanimously endorsed Harris.
“I haven’t heard anyone mention or call out any other candidate,” Hicks said. “Tonight’s vote is an important one.”
Still, the AP isn’t calling Harris the new presumptive candidate. That’s because convention delegates are still free to vote for the nominee of their choice at the August convention or otherwise. Virtual roll call In front of that crowd in Chicago.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an event with NCAA college athletes from the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, July 22, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Harris, in a statement, responded to the AP account, saying, “I thank President Biden and everyone in the Democratic Party who has already placed their trust in me, and I look forward to taking our case directly to the American people.”
Concerns about Biden’s eligibility for office have been replaced by new signs of unity after a seismic shift in the presidential race that has boosted the two major political parties’ carefully developed plans for the 2024 race.
Speaking to campaign staff in Wilmington, Delaware, Harris acknowledged the past several weeks have been a “rollercoaster” but expressed confidence in his new campaign team.
“My intention is to go out and earn this nomination and win,” he said. He vowed to “unify our Democratic Party, unite our nation, and win this election.”
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He quickly leaned on themes that will be prominent in his campaign against Trump over the coming 100 days, contrasting his time as a prosecutor with Trump’s criminal record — “I know the type of Donald Trump,” he said — and casting himself as a defender. Economic Opportunity and Abortion Access.
“Our struggle for the future is a struggle for freedom,” he said. “The rod is in our hands.”
From his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he is recovering from Covid-19, the president called the meeting to offer his support to Harris. He plans to address his decision to step down in an address to the nation later this week.
“The name at the top of the ticket has changed, but the mission hasn’t,” Biden said in his first public comments since announcing his decision to step aside, vowing to “go nowhere” and plan to campaign. On behalf of Harris.
Biden said of his decision, “It was the right thing to do.”
Handing the reins to Harris, Biden added: “I’m looking at you kid. I love you.”
Harris visited the battleground state of Wisconsin on Tuesday as his campaign for the White House kicks into high gear. The event in Milwaukee will be his first full-scale campaign event since announcing his candidacy.
AP is based on number Interviews with individual delegates, public statements by state parties, many of which have declared their delegates support Harris overall, and public statements and endorsements by individual delegates.
Locking up the nomination was the first item on Harris’ political to-do list after learning of Biden’s plans to drop out of the race Sunday morning after a call with the president. She should pick a running mate and boost her candidacy instead, sparking a massive political operation built to re-elect Biden.
On Sunday afternoon, Biden’s campaign formally changed its name to Harris President, reflecting his political operation of more than 1,000 staffers and a war chest that stood at nearly $96 million at the end of June. Biden raised a total of $81 million in the first 24 hours after his endorsement, his campaign — a presidential fundraising record — with contributions from more than 888,000 donors.
The campaign surged in interest after Harris took over, with more than 28,000 new volunteers signing up after the announcement — a 100-fold increase per day on average from the previous Biden re-election campaign, underscoring Harris’ enthusiasm.
Big-name Harris Monday endorsements, including governments. Maryland’s Wes Moore, Michigan’s Gretchen Widmer, Illinois’ JP Pritzker and Kentucky’s Andy Beshear left a vanishing list of potential contenders.
House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi was one of the notable holdovers, eventually promoting a primary to bolster the nominee, saying she would offer her “enthusiastic support” for Harris’ bid to lead the party.
If elected, Harris would be the first woman of South Asian descent and the first person to take office as president.
Democratic National Convention It’s scheduled to take place Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, but the party announced it will hold a virtual roll call to directly nominate Biden before he steps down. The convention’s rules committee is meeting this week and plans to finalize its nomination through a virtual poll on August 1, with the process completed by August 7, the party announced on Monday.
“We can be swift and fair as we move forward with this nomination,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said on a conference call with reporters.
The party said that if several candidates meet the eligibility threshold, the virtual roll call will involve multiple rounds of voting on the candidates. To qualify, candidates must have the electronic signatures of 300 convention delegates.
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AP writers Seung Min Kim and Will Weissert in Washington and Chris Megerian in Wilmington, Delaware contributed.
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