Overview: Vice President Kamala Harris has officially launched her campaign for the 2024 Democratic nomination following President Joe Biden’s endorsement. Biden, who faced criticism for his performance in a presidential debate and tested positive for COVID-19, has decided to focus on his duties as President. Harris has already made strides in her campaign, raising over $1.5 million in three hours and receiving support from Governor Gavin Newsom. However, her role as the official Democratic presidential nominee is not yet secure, as delegates of the Democratic Party must officially nominate a candidate at the party’s national convention.
Breanna Reeves
Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, officially launched her campaign on Monday, July 22 as a candidate for the 2024 Presidential Election following President Joe Biden’s endorsement. Biden changed his mind and declined the Democratic nomination on Sunday, July 21, following calls for him to step aside due to growing concerns regarding his age. Biden is 81.
“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country,” Harris posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”
Biden’s decision to drop out of the race comes weeks after he faced criticism for his lackluster performance during the first presidential debate on June 28 against former president Donald Trump. Dozens of politicians called for Biden to exit the race following the debate and after he mistakenly called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “President Putin” during the NATO summit earlier this month.
Biden’s choice to not continue in the race for president also comes after he tested positive for COVID-19 on July 17 before he could begin his first campaign event in Las Vegas. Biden has been self-isolating since testing positive, according to The White House.
“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden posted on X. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Before the historic announcement, Representative Mark Takano urged Biden to “pass the torch” to Harris in a statement, becoming one of more than 30 Democrats who called for Biden to bow out of the race.
“It has become clear to me that the demands of a modern campaign are now best met by the Vice President, who can seamlessly transition into the role of our party’s standard bearer,” Rep. Takano stated.
Representative Pete Aguilar praised Biden for his decision to step aside and endorse Harris, calling Biden’s actions “patriotic.”
“Moving forward, I will do everything I can to elect Kamala Harris [as] the 47th President of the United States, defeat Donald Trump and take back the House from Extreme MAGA Republicans,” Aguilar said in a statement. “I know Kamala to be a fierce advocate for working families and a tough-minded prosecutor who knows right from wrong.”
In the last 24 hours, Harris has already made strides in her campaign. On Sunday evening, more than 40,000 Black women joined a Zoom call organized by Win With Black Women, a network of intergenerational individuals across different sectors, who raised more than $1.5 million within three hours.
According to ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platform, as of July 21, more than $46 million has been raised following Harris’ campaign launch. In a post on X, the organization noted that July 21 was the biggest fundraising day of the 2024 cycle.
Harris, a Bay Area native, former California Attorney General and San Francisco district attorney, also received support from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who served as San Francisco mayor during Harris’ term as DA.
“Tough. Fearless. Tenacious. With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President, @KamalaHarris,” Newsom posted on X.
With less than four months until the 2024 Presidential Election, choosing a vice presidential running mate will be important in the race. Speculation around who will stand beside Harris has been growing, with names like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Newsom being discussed, among others.
While Harris has received support from dozens of Democrats, her role as the official Democratic presidential nominee is not yet secure. Delegates of the Democratic Party must officially nominate and approve her as a candidate at the party’s national convention. The Democratic National Convention is set to be held in Chicago, IL, from August 19-22.
Harris isn’t the first Black woman to campaign for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, she follows in the footsteps of Shirley Chisholm who became the first Black woman to do so in 1972.
Harris made history herself on January 21, 2021, when she was sworn in as Vice President – the first woman, the first Black American and the first South Asian American to be elected to the position.