Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.
The United States Vice-President, Kamala Harris became the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden bowed to pressure from within the party and pulled out of the race last month.
She quickly won the support of party heavyweights and was the only candidate to qualify for the Democratic presidential ballot, which ensured the outcome of the delegate voting was never in doubt.
Over 4,000 party delegates voted virtually this week.
Though, the online voting process doesn’t end until Monday, but Ms Harris’ campaign marked the moment when she crossed the threshold to have the majority of delegates’ votes.
Harris, who joined the live stream event where the announcement was made, said she would officially accept the nomination next week after the virtual voting period had closed.
“But already I’m happy to know that we have enough delegates to secure the nomination,” said Ms Harris, the first Black and Asian person to become US vice-president.
Meanwhile, she’s in the final stages of selecting a running mate to fill out her ticket. A half-dozen top Democratic strategists, from David Plouffe to Stephanie Cutter, are joining the senior ranks of her campaign. And her campaign dropped a monster fundraising total, bringing in $310 million in July.
That financial advantage is already playing out on the airwaves: Harris’ team is spending $50 million in its newest ad buy, compared with $12 million from former President Donald Trump’s campaign, Politico reported.
Related Posts
“The campaign understands how important it is to define Harris early — to not give that opening to Trump,” said Dan Sena, a Democratic strategist. “The early spend is a twofold benefit to the campaign, to define and protect Harris while continuing to build a grassroots movement. … The campaign seems to be firing on all cylinders.”
Also, Mark Longabaugh, a top strategist for Bernie Sanders’ campaigns, also warned that while Democrats are “giddy” right now, “we also have to be very cognizant that the bad guys are coming, and they’re coming right at us.”
“We have to be ready for Swift Boat, for Willie Horton,” Longabaugh said, citing the effectiveness of Republican attacks from the 2004 and 1988 presidential races. “The Republican playbook is pretty well-established, and we’ve got to be ready.”
“We have to be ready for Swift Boat, for Willie Horton. The Republican playbook is pretty well-established and we’ve got to be ready.”
