US Vice President Kamala Harris, endorsed by President Joe Biden to be the new Democratic presidential nominee, stated she intends to “earn and win” the party’s nomination and “do everything in my power” to unite the nation to defeat her Republican rival, Donald Trump, in November.
Harris, who received Biden’s support after he quit the race for the White House, is set to become the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead the ticket of a major American political party. Harris, 59, expressed she was “honored” to receive Biden’s endorsement and aims to “earn and win” the Democratic Party’s nomination. “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said in a statement.
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Biden, 81, announced he is dropping out of the race after weeks of disarray within the Democratic Party. His poor performance in the first presidential debate with Trump raised doubts about his ability to win a second term and govern for another four years. Despite Biden’s backing, it is unclear whether Harris will secure the nomination or what process the Democratic Party will follow to select an alternative.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said the party will “undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
Harris still needs to be elected by the party’s delegates during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month. Biden has won 3,896 delegates, exceeding the 1,976 required to secure the party’s presidential nomination. The Biden-Harris campaign has amended filings with the Federal Election Commission to rename its principal committee and declare Harris a candidate for president, granting her access to campaign funds.
Harris, who has been serving as the US’s first female, first Black, and first South Asian vice president since 2021, secured endorsements from former president Bill Clinton and others, easing her path to win the delegate battle during the Democratic National Convention beginning on August 19.
“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country,” she said.
On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country.
I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 21, 2024
Harris said over the past year, she has traveled across the country, talking to Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. “And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation– to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda… We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win,” she said.
The Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) announced that an “overwhelming majority” of state Democratic Party chairs support Harris as their nominee for president.
“I am proud that state party chairs, vice-chairs, and executive directors across the country are overwhelmingly uniting behind Vice President Kamala Harris,” ASDC President Ken Martin said in a statement.
“Democratic State Party Chairs and Leaders Announce Overwhelming Support for Vice President @KamalaHarris for President of the United States of America”
– ASDC President and @MinnesotaDFL Chair @kenmartin73 pic.twitter.com/e7BIeuwGU3
— Association of State Democratic Committees (@DemStateParties) July 22, 2024
Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsed Harris, saying, “We’ve lived through many ups and downs, but nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term. He has promised to be a dictator on day one, and the recent ruling by his servile Supreme Court will only embolden him to further shred the Constitution. Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her.”
Former president Barack Obama and ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have not yet endorsed Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the November 5 general elections. Obama stated, “We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”
Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded – again – that he’s a patriot of the highest order.
Here’s my full statement: https://t.co/Bs2ZumFXxe
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 21, 2024
Harris thanked Biden on behalf of the country’s people for his extraordinary leadership, calling his legacy unmatched in modern American history. “It is a profound honor to serve as his vice president, and I am deeply grateful to the President, Dr. Biden, and the entire Biden family. I first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states,” she said.
Biden announced he would not contest the presidential election, focusing on his duties as President for the remainder of his term. “My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made,” Biden said.
Biden’s decision comes amid visible deterioration in his health, and he is currently in self-isolation at his Delaware residence after testing positive for COVID-19. He will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about his decision.
Prominent members of the Indian-American community have praised Biden’s decision, noting it must have been hard but was made to put “America first.” New York-based attorney Ravi Batra said, “Thank you, Joe Biden, for doing what must have been the hardest decision for you, and yet what every soldier on the battlefield does – give our last best measure to America.”
Al Mason, a prominent New York-based global real estate advisor, said it was expected Biden would drop out of the 2024 presidential race. “He did the right thing. He is a good man, but he could never win against Trump. In fact, Biden’s endorsed candidate Kamala Harris too cannot beat Trump. She has no appeal in the battleground states,” Mason said.
Batra highlighted Biden’s distinguished career, saying, “Biden has done his finest duty by dropping out, knowing that he cannot be a standard bearer for the Democratic Party and win against” Trump.
Mason said Trump is “impossible” to beat, especially with his 39-year-old Vice Presidential candidate Senator J.D. Vance, who appeals to states like Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
