Washington, July 23: Kamala Harris has said she plans to “earn and win” the Democratic presidential nomination to defeat Donald Trump after President Joe Biden decided not to seek re-election, putting her on the path to become the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major political party’s ticket.
Vice President Harris, 59, said she was “honoured” to receive Biden’s endorsement and voiced her appreciation for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and his decades of service to the country.
“I am honoured to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said in a statement on Sunday.
The historic endorsement came after Biden, 81, announced Sunday that he is dropping out of the race following weeks of disarray within the Democratic Party. Biden’s disastrous first presidential debate with his Republican rival and former president Donald Trump called into question his ability to win a second term and govern for another four years.
Despite Biden’s backing, it remains unclear whether Harris will become the nominee, or what process the Democratic Party would take to select an alternative.
Democratic National Committee chairman Jaime Harrison said in a statement that in the coming days, 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.” Though Biden’s endorsement almost seals her position as the presidential nominee of her party, Harris still needs to get elected by the party’s delegates during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from August 19-22.
Biden has won 3,896 delegates as against 1,976 required to win the party’s presidential nomination.
In a move that would give her access to the campaign funds, the Biden-Harris campaign amended filings with the Federal Election Commission to rename its principal committee and declare Harris a candidate for president.
Following Biden’s decision, Harris, who has been serving as the US’ first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president since 2021, immediately secured the endorsement of former president Bill Clinton, thus making it a bit easier for her to win the delegate battle during the party convention.
“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.