Kamala Harris secures enough delegate votes for 2024 nomination, Democratic committee chair says
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris has secured enough votes from Democratic delegates to become the party’s nominee for president, Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said Friday.
The announcement comes well before the online voting process is to end on Monday, reflecting the breakneck speed of a campaign that is eager to maintain momentum after President Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed Harris as his successor less than two weeks ago.
Harris is poised to be the first woman of color at the top of a major party’s ticket in the U.S.
“I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee,” Harris said on a call with supporters.
“It’s not going to be easy. But we’re going to get this done,” she added. “As your future president, I know we are up to this fight.”
Democrats “will rally around Vice President Kamala Harris and demonstrate the strength of our party” at its convention in Chicago later this month, Harrison pledged.
The Democratic National Committee did not provide details of the delegate vote count, including a total or state-by-state breakdowns, during a virtual event that had the flavor of a telethon, with campaign officials keeping tabs on a delegate-counting process whose result is effectively a foregone conclusion.
Democrats have pushed ahead with a virtual vote to nominate Harris, nearing the culmination of a turbulent process that was upended by Biden’s decision not to seek reelection.
Kamala Harris struggled to find her political footing in her early years as vice president. Her allies say that has changed since Roe vs. Wade was overturned.
Convention delegates began voting via secure email on Thursday, and the voting will remain open until Monday evening.
Harris has not yet chosen her running mate; she’s expected to interview candidates over the weekend.
The formal nomination is expected to be finalized by Wednesday, though the party’s convention in Chicago doesn’t begin until Aug. 19.
Harris was endorsed by Biden shortly after he dropped out of the race, catapulting her to the forefront of the campaign to beat Republican nominee Donald Trump.
No other major candidate has challenged Harris for the Democratic nomination, and she was the only real choice for delegates under party rules that require pledges of support from at least 300 delegates, with no more than 50 signatures from any one delegation.
Any delegate who wants to vote for someone other than Harris will be tallied as “present.”
Democrats still plan a state-by-state roll call during the convention, the traditional way that a nominee is chosen. However, that will be purely ceremonial after the online voting.
Democratic officials had said the accelerated timeline was necessary due to the Aug. 7 deadline to ensure candidates’ names appear on the Ohio ballot.
Ohio state lawmakers have since changed the deadline, but the modification doesn’t take effect until Sept. 1. Democratic attorneys warn that waiting until after the initial deadline to determine a presidential nominee could prompt legal challenges.
As Harris prepares to face off with Trump, her campaign is reorganizing its senior staff and bringing on a coterie of veterans of President Obama’s successful campaigns.
David Plouffe will serve as a senior advisor focused on Harris’ pathway to the 270 electoral college votes she needs to win in November. To take the role, Plouffe will stop consulting for TikTok, the social media app, and won’t be hosting his podcast with Kellyanne Conway, the former Trump campaign manager, according to a person familiar with his plans.
In addition, Stephanie Cutter will advise on messaging and strategy, while Mitch Stewart will serve as senior advisor for battleground states. Brian Nelson, who until recently was an undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury Department, has shifted to the campaign to advise Harris on policy.
Despite the new additions, many aspects of the campaign remain the same as when Biden was the candidate. Jen O’Malley Dillon still serves as chair and will oversee the entire staff structure.
Other unchanged senior staff include Julie Chavez Rodriguez as campaign manager, Quentin Fulks as principal deputy campaign manager and Michael Tyler as communications director.
Sheila Nix will continue as Harris’ senior advisor and chief of staff on the campaign. Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, who was recently brought on as a campaign co-chair, is expanding her portfolio to include outreach and strategy.
Brian Fallon, who had been Harris’ campaign communications director when Biden was still on the ticket, will now serve as senior advisor of communications.
Elizabeth Allen, most recently an undersecretary at the State Department, will be chief of staff for Harris’ chosen running mate.
Weissert and Megerian write for the Associated Press.
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