On Friday afternoon, via a virtual rollcall, Vice President Kamala Harris officially secured enough votes to become the Democratic nominee for president. Such a move comes less than two weeks after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race via a letter shared to his X account. He endorsed Harris to replace him in a separate post not long after. The virtual rollcall initially became necessary due to Ohio state ballot laws.
“I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States and I will tell you, the tireless work of our delegates, our state leaders, and our staff has been pivotal to making this moment possible,” Harris said on Friday when she passed the threshold, adding that she will officially accept the nomination next week once the virtual voting period is closed.
Harris also posted over X that she was "honored" to be the nominee, complete with a link to ActBlue for fundraising.
I am honored to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. I will officially accept the nomination next week.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 2, 2024
This campaign is about people coming together, fueled by love of country, to fight for the best of who we are.
Join us: https://t.co/abmve926Hz
The move is not a surprise. The day after Biden dropped out, an unofficial survey revealed that Harris had secured enough delegate support to become the presumptive nominee. Spencer also covered earlier this week how, late on Tuesday night, "the DNC announced that Harris — without ever winning a presidential primary — had been put on the ballot as the only candidate for nomination as the party's presidential candidate."
As unsurprising as it is, the process to make Harris the Democratic nominee is rather undemocratic. Harris ran unopposed, and she herself did not receive any primary votes. There have already been over 1,000 replies in response to Harris' post, with many chiming in to point out the lack of votes she received. The candidate finishing behind Biden for the 2024 primary would actually be "uncommitted."
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Literally NOBODY voted for you.
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 2, 2024
This was a coup.
You’re a threat to democracy.
LOL - not one vote - COUP!
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) August 2, 2024
you didn't get 1 vote... LOL!
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) August 2, 2024
Harris is expected to pick her running mate by next Tuesday, with Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) currently being considered the frontrunner, though there are issues with such a pick, from worries that his support for Israel alienates the far-left part of the base, to concerns about a sexual harassment coverup. Harris and her pick will then go on a tour, starting in Philadelphia, hitting cities in key battleground states.
The vice president will officially accept the nomination during the Democratic National Convention which is to take place later this month in Chicago, starting on August 19.
Although Harris has earned something of a boost, this could be merely a honeymoon period, as is to be expected. Polls from The Decision Desk/HQ show former and potentially future President Donald Trump leading by +1.1, while RealClearPolling averages similarly show Trump leading by +1.2.
This lead could very well shrink as the honeymoon period ends and voters learn more about Harris' radical record, even as the mainstream media and press try to cover up for the vice president.