Harris Secures Delegates Needed To Become Democratic Nominee

WASHINGTON, DC (REUTERS) – Vice President Kamala Harris secured support July 22 from most delegates to the Democratic National Convention, likely ensuring she will become the party’s nominee for president next month, according to multiple sources.

President Joe Biden had immediately thrown his support behind Harris when he withdrew from the race amid questions about his age and health. He pledged to remain in office as president until his term ends on January 20, 2025.

Within minutes of receiving Biden’s backing on July 21, Harris began consolidating Democratic support for her presidential bid, securing commitments from hundreds of convention delegates, announcing a massive fundraising haul and earning endorsements from top party figures, Reuters was first to report.

These included former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has remained influential since stepping down as the party’s House of Representatives leader in 2022 and the AFL-CIO labor union federation, which represents 12.5 million workers.

Harris’ campaign said it raised $81 million in the 24 hours following Biden’s exit, the most for a single day in the 2024 campaign for either party.

In Harris’ first public appearance since the announcement, she rallied supporters with a debut campaign speech vowing to go after Republican nominee Donald Trump like the courtroom prosecutor she once was.

“I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain,” Harris told campaign workers.

“So, hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type. In this campaign, I will proudly, I will proudly put my record against his,” said Harris, who was attorney general of California and a senator before serving as Biden’s vice president.

Trump is due to be sentenced in September after having been found guilty of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to a porn star. He also faces criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn Biden’s 2020 victory. He falsely claims he lost in 2020 because of election fraud.

Recovering from COVID-19 at his home in Delaware, Biden called into Harris’ campaign event. He sounded hoarse but appreciative of his vice president.

An Associated Press survey of delegates showed Harris had the support of 2,538 delegates, well beyond the 1,976 needed to win the delegates vote in the coming weeks. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said on July 22 the party will deliver a presidential nominee by August 7.