- Kamala Harris is securing the Democratic presidential nomination.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris Secures Democratic Nomination for Presidency
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the necessary majority of delegate votes to become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, according to multiple U.S. media outlets, including the "Washington Post" and CNN, citing Democratic Party sources.
This means Harris will face off against former Republican President Donald Trump in the November election. The Democrats had moved up their nomination process due to printing deadlines for ballots in certain states, ahead of a major party convention in Chicago in mid-August.
Harris Secures Majority Before Convention
On Thursday, voting began on the party's online platform, allowing delegates from all states to cast their votes. The technical voting period is set to continue until Monday evening (local time). However, Harris has already secured the necessary majority of votes. She was the only candidate in the digital vote, making her nomination a formality.
On the social media platform X, Harris wrote: "I am honored to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. I will officially accept the nomination next week." Her campaign, she said, is about "people coming together, driven by love for their country, to fight for what's best about us."
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago. The nomination of the Democratic presidential candidate was originally supposed to take place there, similar to how the Republicans officially nominated Trump at a convention in Milwaukee in July.
However, the Democratic Party leadership had already initiated the process months ago to expedite and digitalize the nomination process. This was due to deadlines in the states by which parties had to confirm their candidates to appear on the ballot. Notably, a deadline in the state of Ohio, which would have passed before the convention, was a driving factor.
Harris Becomes Democratic Front-Runner After Biden's Withdrawal
Harris emerged as the Democratic front-runner after U.S. President Joe Biden withdrew from the race. The 81-year-old faced pressure due to his age and doubts about his mental fitness within his own party, ultimately announcing his withdrawal from the presidential race. Biden immediately endorsed his running mate, Harris, and the party quickly rallied behind her.
Harris now enters the campaign against Trump with momentum. She has already raised millions in donations and is performing better in early polls than Biden had been. However, how Harris will fare with U.S. voters in the coming weeks remains to be seen.
For instance, Harris, at 59 years old, could appeal to younger voters who were less enthusiastic about the 81-year-old incumbent Biden. She could also resonate with women and people of color, as the daughter of a Jamaican father and Indian mother, more so than Biden or Trump, who at 78 is now the only "old white man" in the race.
Dirty Campaigning
Meanwhile, Trump and the Republicans have begun portraying Harris as a "token candidate" due to her gender and skin color, and have launched racist and sexist verbal attacks against her. Harris, in turn, emphasizes her contrast with conservatives, highlighting her support for liberal abortion rights, among other things.
On a substantive level, Harris must primarily defend herself against the allegations of the opposing side, being partly responsible for the migration policy of the Biden administration. Biden tasked her as Vice President with the task of "combating the root causes of migration".
While the numbers of illegal border crossings into the US have recently decreased, they were at a record high. This issue is central in the US election campaign and is particularly used as ammunition on billboards and in TV ads in the so-called swing states. Due to the US electoral system, the result in November ultimately depends on relatively few votes from these states.
The announcement of Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee marks a significant moment for The Presidency, as she is set to compete against former President Donald Trump in the November elections. Following Vice President Harris' securing the necessary delegate votes during the online voting period, she took to social media to express her gratitude and outline her campaign's focus on unity and fighting for the best interests of the country.
