There was little doubt about it. Kamala Harris secured her party’s nomination for the November US presidential election on Friday, August 3, and will face Donald Trump – a duel that has already begun since Joe Biden dropped out less than two weeks ago. Democrats announced midday that the US vice president had won the support of more than half of the delegates for her nomination in an online vote.
The 50-year-old said she was “honored to be the nominee” of her party. She will officially accept the nomination after the polls close on Monday, and will celebrate it during a big evening at the Democratic convention, scheduled for Chicago in mid-August. She replaces Joe Biden, who announced on July 21, in a big bang, that he was withdrawing from the race for the White House, weighed down by concerns about his age and fitness. He immediately announced his support for his number 2 to take over the torch. “I couldn’t be more proud,” he said Friday afternoon.
Race for millions
Kamala Harris, who will become the first black female president of the United States if elected, now has less than 100 days to convince American voters to support her against former Republican President Donald Trump. “It’s not going to be easy, but we’re going to get there. And as your future president, I know we’re up to the task,” she said in a broadcast call from a campaign event.
In this high-flying duel, the Democrat starts with a significant financial advantage. Kamala Harris’ campaign announced that it had raised $310 million in July, more than double the funds raised by Donald Trump, an amount largely raked in since the vice president replaced Joe Biden for the November election.
Fundraising plays a vital role in American campaigns, with often astronomical amounts largely spent on expensive clips flooding television channels and the Internet. The new Democratic candidate had raised $200 million in less than a week after Joe Biden withdrew, with donors disenchanted with the aging president making a comeback. This fundraising was “fueled by the best month of collection from small donors in the history of the American presidential election,” she said.
The Republican candidate’s team announced in a statement on Thursday that it had raised $138.7 million in July, a substantial sum earned in the month in which Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt and received triumphant support at the Republican convention. The former president also said on his social network Truth Social on Friday that he had agreed to a debate on Fox News, on September 4, with Kamala Harris. But it was not immediately clear whether she had agreed to the debate.
Seven States in Five Days
While the Democratic camp has benefited from a new favorable momentum in recent days, observers warn that it should be wary of excessive optimism. Because even if the gap is narrowing, Donald Trump still maintains a lead in the polls. Next week therefore promises to be important for Kamala Harris, who will seek not to lose her momentum.
In addition to making her inauguration official, the former prosecutor and former senator from California must announce the choice of her running mate, who will become vice president if she is elected. The names of four governors of key states, as well as a senator, are notably coming up repeatedly.
Kamala Harris and her choice to appear on the famous Democratic “ticket” will then begin, starting Tuesday, a tour of no less than seven states, which they will crisscross over five days. On the program: only key states, such as Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday, and Nevada on Saturday. The duo will then be celebrated at the Democratic convention scheduled in Chicago from August 19 to 22, a gathering that promises to be a great inauguration party.