Harris to appear as sole candidate for Dem presidential nomination on virtual roll call
Vice President Kamala Harris in a 2023 file photo. Harris was the only Democrat to get the needed signatures to put her name in the running for a virtual roll call of Democratic delegates picking a presidential nominee after President Joe Biden's sudden departure. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris will be the only candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the virtual roll call that began Thursday, the Democratic National Committee said this week.
Harris was the only person to reach the threshold of 300 delegates petitioning for her to become the party’s nominee after President Joe Biden dropped his bid for reelection. That makes hers the only name on the ballot, setting her up to officially become the party’s nominee during a virtual roll call that was scheduled to begin Thursday, according to a DNC press release.
The DNC allowed party delegates to petition for a new nominee after Biden’s July 21 withdrawal. After sweeping the primaries and caucuses through the first part of the year, Biden had secured the vast majority of the 3,949 pledged delegates in the Democratic nominating process.
Most of those delegates quickly declared their support for Harris following Biden’s exit. Maryland Democratic leaders said all 106 convention delegates agreed unanimously to back Harris during a conference call one day after Biden’s announcement,
About 84% of Democratic delegates submitted a signature during the petition phase, with 99% of those supporting Harris, the DNC said. A total of 3,923 Democratic delegates petitioned for Harris to be the presidential nominee, according to the release, which called Harris the presumptive Democratic nominee.
“Democratic delegates from across the nation made their voices heard, overwhelmingly backing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and Democratic National Convention Committee Chair Minyon Moore said in the statement.
Harris won the backing of many state parties, elected officials and other party leaders within hours of Biden bowing out of the race and endorsing her. Candidates rumored to harbor their own presidential ambitions quickly fell in line with Harris, with a few still thought to be under consideration for Harris’ running mate.
Democrats’ virtual roll call – a departure from the traditional roll call at the party convention initially designed to ensure the party’s nominee was on the ballot in Ohio despite an early deadline that has since been changed – was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. EDT Thursday and wrap up at 6 p.m. on Aug. 5, the DNC release said.
Harris and running mate to hit battlegroud states
On Aug. 6, the day after the virtual roll call concludes, Harris and her yet-to-be-named running mate will begin a five-day tour of seven battleground states, with their first stop in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star confirmed Tuesday.
The commonwealth is perhaps the most important battleground in the presidential race and Gov. Josh Shapiro is reportedly on Harris’ short list for vice president. The first-term governor and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stumped for Harris at a Monday rally in the Philadelphia area.
The Harris campaign announced Thursday that Philadelphia would be followed by campaign stops in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Detroit on Wednesday; North Carolina’s Research Triangle on Thursday, Aug. 8; Savannah, Georgia, and Phoenix on Aug. 9; and Las Vegas on Aug. 10.
Other rumored candidates for Harris’ running mate include Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also under consideration.
