Vice President Kamala Harris has won enough endorsements from Democratic delegates to make her the party’s presidential nominee, according to unofficial delegate trackers.
A delegate tracker from The Associated Press counted 2,688 delegates who had said by Tuesday morning they would vote for Harris on the first ballot of the party’s nominating vote. A candidate needs 1,976 delegates on the first ballot to secure the Democratic nomination.
If the delegates who have endorsed her follow through, Harris will officially become the nominee when the vote occurs next month.
Several state parties met Sunday and Monday after President Joe Biden — who had been the party’s presumptive nominee after racking up delegates by sweeping primaries and caucuses this year — took the unprecedented step Sunday afternoon of ending his reelection bid.
Biden endorsed Harris shortly after bowing out, as did many of the state parties holding emergency meetings, elected officials, unions and influential outside groups.
Harris claimed victory in the uncontested nomination race in a Monday night statement after her home-state California delegation endorsed her.
“Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party’s nominee, and as a daughter of California, I am proud that my home state’s delegation helped put our campaign over the top,” Harris said in the statement. “I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon.”
The Democratic National Committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday to set up a nomination framework and virtual roll call to select a presidential candidate ahead of the party’s national convention from Aug. 19 to Aug. 22 in Chicago.
The pre-convention virtual roll call was meant to comply with an Ohio law requiring parties select a candidate 90 days before Election Day, which Democrats said would have caused problems with their convention schedule.
Harris will also need to select a running mate. The campaign has requested vetting materials from five potential picks, according to an MSNBC report. They are Govs. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Tim Walz of Minnesota and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.
Schumer, Jeffries support Harris
Also Tuesday, the Democratic leaders in each chamber of Congress endorsed Harris.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York, praised Biden’s record as president and his “patriotic” act of stepping aside.
Schumer explained their holding out on endorsements – which came less than 48 hours from Biden’s announcement but still later than many in their caucuses – saying that Harris had told him she wanted to earn the nomination “on her own.”
“She said she wanted the opportunity to win the nomination on her own,” Schumer said. “We deeply respected that, Hakeem and I do.”
Schumer also said that the swift consensus behind Harris had given Democratic voters a jolt, calling the party “brimming with excitement, enthusiasm, unity.”
“President Biden’s selfless decision has given the Democratic Party the opportunity to unite behind a new nominee and boy, oh boy, are we enthusiastic,” Schumer said.
Harris was scheduled to appear Tuesday at her first campaign event in a battleground state since Biden exited the race with a visit to Milwaukee.
Biden said Tuesday he would speak at the White House on Wednesday evening to say how he would “finish the job for the American people.” The primetime Oval Office address will be Biden’s first public remarks since he dropped out of the race. He left campaign trail last week to recover from COVID-19.
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