MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Harris secures enough party delegates to win nomination

“I am proud to have secured the broad support needed,” Harris said

US Vice President Kamala Harris Monday looked certain she would be picking up the baton from Joseph Biden as the Democratic Party's nominee por the Nov. 5 presidential elections where she would be taking on former President Donald Trump on behalf of the Republicans and “independent” runner Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whiise candidacies have already been confirmed. “I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon,” Harris said.

 After Biden dropped his reelection bid, the Democratic National Convention is to apppoint a successor next month. In tthe meantime, Harris collected US$ 81 million worth of donations in just 24 hours Monday.

According to Harris' campaign, more than 888,000 contributions were received Monday from “grassroots donors,” 60% of whom have donated for the first time during the 2024 election cycle. “The historic outpouring of support for Vice President Harris represents exactly the kind of grassroots energy and enthusiasm that wins elections,” campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said.

In addition, Future Forward – the largest Democratic political action committee (PAC) in the US – told Politico magazine it had obtained US$ 150 million in new commitments from major donors in the last 24 hours.

According to an Associated Press tally released late Monday, Harris would already have over 2,200 voting for her at the DNC, easily surpassing the 1,976 threshold required to secure the nomination. DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison told reporters Monday the party will choose its nominee by Aug. 7.

With no key challengers in sight, many Democratic leaders Monday stood behind Harris, including former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, still an influential party figure who by Sunday had preferred to go slow on appointing a new candidate.

“Today, it is with immense pride and limitless optimism for our country’s future that I endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president of the United States,” Pelosi said in a statement Monday. “My enthusiastic support for Kamala Harris for president is official, personal and political.”

After an ailing 81-year-old Biden stepped down Sunday following his faltering debate performance against Trump in late June and other lapses, The Republican camp contends that she knew about the incumbent head of state's health issues all along, which would render her “concealer-in-chief.”

“Kamala was in on it,” read a Republican ad Monday. “She covered up Joe’s obvious mental decline. But Kamala knew Joe couldn’t do the job. So, she did it.” Therefore, “Kamala owns this failed record.”

“When I announced my campaign for president, I said I intended to go out and earn this nomination,” Harris said in a statement. “Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party's nominee, and as a daughter of California, I am proud that my home state's delegation helped put our campaign over the top. I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon,” she said less than 36 hours after Biden said he would not run.