INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
candidates decide to enter the race
(Photo: Bloomberg)5 min read Last Updated : Jul 22 2024 | 7:44 AM ISTBy Akayla GardnerUS Vice President Kamala Harris launched a bid for
said in a statement on Sunday
president in history at 81, said earlier Sunday he would not seek reelection, reversing his decision after weeks of mounting pressure from
fellow Democrats to end his bid
A calamitous debate performance in June sparked a political nightmare for Democrats who feared Biden would not be able to keep Trump from
and Harris spoke multiple times on Sunday before he announced his decision, according to a person familiar with the
discussions.
California Senator Laphonza Butler, a close Harris ally who advised her 2020 presidential campaign, said the vice president
is making calls to members of Congress, governors, delegates and organisational leaders
Democratic base and could coalesce voter support
The optics of passing over Harris would also be politically risky for the party, which relies heavily on turnout from people of color,
including Black women.
Celina Lake, a pollster who worked with the Biden campaign, said voters will be taking a fresh look at Harris now
Lake believes Harris is well-positioned to energise crucial parts of the Democratic base, including young voters, women and people of
to challenge Harris for the nomination, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California also
does not plan to run against Harris, according to CBS News
Newsom and Whitmer were both considered potential contenders for the nomination.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison
believes Harris will be easier to defeat
voters has also improved after a shaky start to her tenure in office
A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll conducted in July found that 77 per cent of Democrats said they would support Harris if Biden were no
longer able to continue his campaign.
The Biden campaign has charged its staffers with working to elect Harris, according to a source
familiar with an all-hands call with the team on Sunday
expressed words of optimism for the vice president.
Harris was the target of attacks earlier in the presidential race as polls showed
She also carries the highest name recognition among possible alternative candidates.
Some observers have expressed concern that
immediately crowning Harris as the heir apparent could appear undemocratic, particularly given that Biden won the nomination during the
Some Democrats called for an open convention, where possible candidates could jockey for the nomination
