- Harris clearly elected as the candidate - waiting for vice
Kamala Harris goes into the November presidential election with full support from the Democratic Party after completing the internal vote. She received 99 percent of the approximately 4,500 delegate votes cast, the Democratic Party announced. She had already surpassed the necessary majority for the nomination last week. Harris was the only candidate in the digital vote - her nomination now needs to be formally confirmed by the party's leadership bodies.
The 59-year-old is expected to soon announce who her running mate will be for the race against Republican Donald Trump. She is scheduled to make her first joint appearance with her yet-to-be-named running mate on Tuesday evening (local time) at a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state. Afterwards, the Democratic duo plans to embark on a rapid campaign tour through the politically hotly contested states of Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.
Selecting a vice-presidential candidate in the U.S. election is typically a complex process that must now be rushed due to Harris's unexpected rise as the candidate following President Joe Biden's withdrawal.
Josh Shapiro in the running for vice?
Among those in talks for the vice-presidential spot are Senator Mark Kelly from Arizona, Governor Tim Walz from Minnesota, Governor Josh Shapiro from Pennsylvania, Governor J.B. Pritzker from Illinois, Governor Andy Beshear from Kentucky, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. According to U.S. media, Harris spoke with Kelly, Walz, and Shapiro over the weekend.
Shapiro, in particular, is seen as a strong contender, having been considered for higher offices for some time. As governor of Pennsylvania, he will certainly be present at Harris's event in Philadelphia. The 51-year-old is relatively new to the national political stage but is very popular. Before his time as governor, he served as Pennsylvania's attorney general. Some Democrats on the party's left wing view him as too conservative on certain issues, and many of them prefer Tim Walz as the vice-presidential candidate.
Early online voting
The anticipation is high as to which forces within her party Harris will align with in her decision and whom she might alienate. This also involves the tone Harris plans to set in the campaign and the issues she wants to focus on to resonate with voters.
Harris rose to the forefront of the Democratic Party after Biden withdrew from the race in a dramatic turn of events. The 81-year-old had faced increasing pressure due to his age and concerns about his mental fitness within his own ranks, ultimately announcing his withdrawal.
At the time of his announcement, Biden endorsed his vice-president as his replacement. The party quickly rallied behind Harris, who has since performed better in polls than Biden did previously.
The party's nomination process was originally scheduled to take place at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22. However, it was moved up due to printing deadlines for ballots in some states. Party delegates from all states could cast their votes on an online platform starting Thursday. Voting ended Monday evening (6:00 PM local time; midnight German time).
The Democratic Party's announcement confirmed Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee following the 'Election of the President', having received overwhelming support and surpassing the necessary majority. The upcoming decision for her running mate will be crucial, with Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania being a strong contender due to his popularity and experience.
