Kamala Harris Raises $200 Million After Biden Endorses Her for President
Washington DC [US], July 29: Nearly a week after US President Joe Biden exited the presidential race and endorsed his deputy Kamala Harris as his successor, the Vice President’s campaign has raised USD 200 million. The campaign, which announced its latest fundraising total on Sunday, said the bulk of the donations — 66 per cent — came from first-time contributors in the 2024 election cycle. Additionally, over 1,70,000 volunteers have also signed up to help the Harris campaign with phone banking, canvassing and other get-out-the-vote efforts.
“The momentum and energy for Vice President Harris is real — and so are the fundamentals of this race: this election will be very close and decided by a small number of voters in just a few states,” Michael Tyler, the campaign’s communications director, wrote in a memo.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s campaign said in early July that it raised USD 331 million in the second quarter, topping the USD 264 million that Biden’s campaign and its Democratic allies raised in the same period. Trump’s campaign had USD 284.9 million in cash on hand at the end of June, while the Democratic campaign had USD 240 million in cash on hand at the time.
Harris quickly coalesced Democratic support after Biden, whose candidature fizzled following his disastrous June 27 debate performance against Trump, exited the race. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were quick to announce their support. Prodigious Democratic fundraisers, former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama, also announced their endorsement on Friday.
The Democratic National Convention next month will, however, decide if Harris will become the party’s nominee. Harris, at her fundraiser on Saturday, said she remained the “underdog” in the race but that her campaign was picking up steam. Her takeover has re-energised a campaign that had faltered badly, as Democrats were left in doubt about Biden’s chances of defeating Trump or his ability to continue in the White House if he had won.
Meanwhile, in his campaign appearance in St Cloud, Minnesota, on Saturday, Trump called Harris a “crazy liberal,” accused her of wanting to “defund the police,” and said she was an “absolute radical” on abortion. As 100 days are left until the elections, polls over the past week have shown Harris and Trump essentially tied, setting the stage for a close-fought campaign.
On Sunday, Mitch Landrieu, a campaign co-chair, said on MSNBC that Harris “had one of the best weeks that we’ve seen in politics in the last 50 years.” “This is going to be a very close race,” he said.
Doubts Revealed
Kamala Harris -: Kamala Harris is the Vice President of the United States. She is the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first South Asian woman to hold this position.
Joe Biden -: Joe Biden is the current President of the United States. He was the Vice President under Barack Obama before becoming President.
Endorses -: To endorse someone means to publicly support or approve them. In this case, Joe Biden is saying he supports Kamala Harris to be the next President.
Campaign -: A campaign is a series of actions or events organized to achieve a particular goal, like winning an election. Kamala Harris’s campaign is her effort to become President.
Donations -: Donations are gifts of money given to support a cause or a person. People are giving money to Kamala Harris’s campaign to help her become President.
Volunteers -: Volunteers are people who offer their time and effort for free to help with a cause. In this case, they are helping Kamala Harris’s campaign.
Barack and Michelle Obama -: Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States, and Michelle Obama is his wife. They are very popular and influential figures in the Democratic Party.
Donald Trump -: Donald Trump was the 45th President of the United States. He is running for President again and is Kamala Harris’s main opponent in the election.
Polls -: Polls are surveys that ask people who they plan to vote for. They help predict who might win an election.
Tied -: When two people or teams are tied, it means they have the same score or level of support. In this case, polls show that Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have the same amount of support from voters.
