US Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris delivers the eulogy for US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee at Fallbrook Church in Houston, Texas, on August 1, 2024. – Jackson Lee, a Democrat and outspoken advocate for racial justice and minorities’ rights, died July 19, 2024, at the age of 74. (Photo by Mark Felix / AFP)
US Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, cementing her role as the party’s standard bearer against Republican Donald Trump in the upcoming November election.
Harris, 59, was the sole candidate on the ballot for a five-day electronic vote of nearly 4,000 party convention delegates. As the first Black and South Asian woman to secure a major party’s nomination, she will be officially confirmed at a Chicago convention later this month.
“I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States,” Harris announced during a phone-in to a party celebration after securing enough votes by the second day of the marathon virtual vote.
Since Joe Biden ended his reelection bid two weeks ago, Harris has gained full control of the party, breaking fundraising records, drawing large crowds, and diminishing the polling leads that Trump had built over the president.
“I couldn’t be prouder,” Biden posted on X following her nomination.
With the nomination secured, Harris is preparing to hit the campaign trail next week for a tour across seven key election states, accompanied by her yet-to-be-named running mate.
The Democratic Party opted for a virtual nomination process, diverging from tradition and reflecting the procedure used during the pandemic-hit 2020 election, due to an early deadline in Ohio for submitting certified candidates’ names.
The virtual roll call marks the official start of the 2024 convention, with more traditional festivities commencing when thousands of party supporters gather in Chicago on August 19.
The convention will feature a ceremonial vote for Harris in what is expected to be a jubilant celebration of her rise from California prosecutor to historic presidential candidate.
Trump’s campaign was significantly impacted on July 21 when 81-year-old Biden, facing growing concerns about his age and declining polling numbers, withdrew his candidacy and endorsed Harris.
Energized and two decades younger than 78-year-old Trump, Harris has made a strong start, raising $310 million in July, according to her campaign — more than double Trump’s total.
