Topline
Vice President Kamala Harris secured enough votes in the Democratic National Convention virtual roll call to secure the Democratic nomination for president, the party announced Friday, moving her a crucial step closer to making history and becoming the party’s official nominee.
Vice President Kamala Harris needed 2,350 delegate votes out of the more than 4,000 available in … [+]
Key Facts
Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Friday he was “so proud to confirm that Vice President Harris has earned more than a majority of votes from all convention delegates.”
Harrison made the announcement in an online meeting for Democratic supporters that took place while delegates were still voting in the virtual roll call, which doesn’t close until Monday, The New York Times reported.
Voting officially wraps up at 6 p.m. on Monday, at which point Harris’ nomination will be official.
Harris’ expected nomination is historic as she will become the first Black woman and Asian American to hold the top spot on a major party’s presidential ticket.
Harris said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, she was “honored to be the Democratic nominee” and will “officially accept the nomination next week.”
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Why Did The Dnc Vote Prior To Its Convention?
The DNC scheduled a virtual roll call prior to its convention—which is scheduled for Aug. 19-22—initially to ensure its candidate would be on the ballot in Ohio. The state previously required candidates to be nominated by Aug. 7, and while Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill extending the deadline to Sept. 1 for this year to allow the DNC to nominate someone at its convention, some Democrats defended keeping the earlier roll call process in place by claiming they were still worried Republican lawmakers in Ohio would try to change the date again or try to force the candidate off the ballot.
Crucial Quote
“This campaign is about people coming together, fueled by love of country, to fight for the best of who we are,” Harris said on X.
Big Number
2,350. That’s how many delegate votes out of the more than 4,000 available that Harris needed to secure the nomination, and about how many she had received by the DNC’s announcement Friday, CBS reported.
Key Background
Harris officially filed to run for president after President Joe Biden announced he would end his reelection bid and endorsed her as his replacement. In his endorsement, Biden said selecting Harris as his vice president was “the best decision” he’d made and added she has his “full support and endorsement” to be this year’s nominee. Harris immediately rallied support among Democrats—earning endorsements from former President Barack Obama, top Democratic leaders and a handful of celebrities and major donors—and rejuvenated the party after weeks of concern about Biden’s viability as a candidate and leader for another four years. In the first week of Harris’ candidacy, her campaign said it raised $200 million and that about two-thirds of it was from first-time contributors in this year’s election cycle, the Associated Press reported.
What To Watch For
Whether Trump agrees to debate Harris now that she has earned the nomination. A Trump campaign spokesperson previously said they wouldn’t commit to a debate until Democrats decided on their nominee—taking a dig at the party for dropping Biden—and Trump has been noncommittal around the question of whether he’ll debate Harirs, saying Friday he doesn’t need to debate. “I’m leading in the polls, and everybody knows her, everybody knows me,” he said.
Further Reading
Israel and Hamas. Previously, she has covered a range of topics from Donald Trump’s legal battles to Taylor Swift’s path to becoming a billionaire. She joined Forbes in April 2022 and is based in Colorado. Prior to joining Forbes, Bohannon covered local news and spent time at the Fort Collins Coloradoan and the Arizona Republic. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Creighton University and has an MA in investigative journalism from Arizona State. Follow Bohannon for continued coverage of pop culture, politics and updates on the war in Gaza.
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