On Monday evening, Vice President Kamala Harris clinched the Democratic nomination after receiving a flurry of endorsements from state delegations, lawmakers, governors, and influential labor and advocacy groups. The surge of support pushed her well past the required 1,976 pledged delegates for the nomination, according to CNN’s delegate count, marking a significant milestone on the first full day of her campaign.
With no credible challengers emerging following President Joe Biden’s exit from the race and his endorsement of Harris, the main question for the 2024 Democratic ticket is now who Harris will select as her running mate.
Harris, who will hold a campaign event in Milwaukee on Tuesday, reinforced her candidacy with a compelling speech at the campaign’s Delaware headquarters. She informed the staff from the Biden campaign that they would stay on board, and that campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez would continue in their roles.
In her speech, Harris outlined her case against Donald Trump, referencing his scandals and legal troubles while highlighting her record as a district attorney and California attorney general. “I took on perpetrators of all kinds—predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, and cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain,” Harris said. “So, I know Donald Trump’s type.”
On her first day as a candidate, Harris raised $81 million, setting a new record for the largest 24-hour fundraising total by any candidate. This impressive haul underscored strong grassroots support for a change in the Democratic 2024 lineup. The campaign reported that over 880,000 donors contributed, with 60% making their first donations of the 2024 cycle.
The Democratic donation-processing platform ActBlue described it as “the biggest fundraising day of the 2024 cycle.” Additionally, the Democratic super PAC Future Forward secured $150 million in commitments from donors within 24 hours of Biden’s announcement, according to a senior aide.
Harris has secured endorsements from four pivotal Midwestern governors—Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota’s Tim Walz, Wisconsin’s Tony Evers, and Illinois’ JB Pritzker—as well as from Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, North Carolina’s Roy Cooper, California’s Gavin Newsom, and Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro. These endorsements could also influence the selection of the party’s vice presidential nominee.
The wave of support for Harris continued on Capitol Hill, with more than 40 Democratic senators and nearly 100 House members backing her candidacy. Notably, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi voiced her “enthusiastic support” for Harris. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are expected to endorse Harris soon, with Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark and California Rep. Pete Aguilar already on board.
Harris also garnered backing from the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Progressive Caucus, as well as from major labor unions like the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of Teachers.
Endorsements for Harris spanned the Democratic ideological spectrum, from moderate populists like Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown to progressives such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The strategic, hour-by-hour endorsement push aimed to secure a majority of delegates by Wednesday, a goal Harris achieved ahead of schedule. “It’s a coordinated drumbeat,” said a senior Democratic aide. “That sound Democrats hear is the party uniting around the vice president.”
Delegate endorsements, which are non-binding, continue to roll in.
Harris has been working tirelessly to consolidate party support following President Biden’s underwhelming debate performance on June 27. Knowing Biden’s decision, Harris had multiple conversations with him on Sunday and then made over 100 calls in a 10-hour span on Monday.
Her outreach included calls to former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who endorsed Harris in a statement. Obama chose to defer to the party process. Harris also reached out to her pastor, Amos Brown III, who prayed with her. She celebrated the day with her favorite pizza topping—anchovies.
In these calls, Harris made it clear that while she appreciated Biden’s endorsement, she aimed to secure the nomination on her own merits. “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said.
Support for Harris was also mobilized by her chief of staff Lorraine Voles and California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who led a call with around 350 Democratic donors and supporters. The group Win With Black Women held a highly attended Zoom call with 44,000 participants, emphasizing the need for voter registration and fundraising.
Longtime Democratic strategist Donna Brazile was gathering delegate support for Harris, while Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and other key figures voiced their commitment to defending Harris’s candidacy.
(CNN)