Two days after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection, Vice President Kamala Harris is making her first trip to a battleground state, having secured enough support from Democratic delegates to become the party’s nominee. Harris is heading to Milwaukee for her first campaign rally since officially launching her campaign on Sunday with Biden’s endorsement. Since then, she has raised over $100 million and gained support from numerous Democratic officials and groups.
Although Tuesday’s visit was scheduled before Biden’s announcement, it now carries additional significance as Harris steps into the role of the Democratic contender against former President Donald Trump. Her visit comes just a week after the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, as she works to define her campaign message with just over 100 days until Election Day. Wisconsin is part of the critical “blue wall” states, along with Michigan and Pennsylvania, that the Democrats aim to hold in 2024.
During a stop at her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware on Monday, Harris outlined her campaign themes, contrasting her experience as a prosecutor with Trump’s felony convictions. “I know Donald Trump’s type,” she said, positioning herself as a champion of economic opportunity and reproductive rights. She emphasized, “This election will present a clear choice between two different visions. Donald Trump wants to take our country back to a time before many of us had full freedoms and equal rights. I believe in a future that strengthens our democracy, protects reproductive freedom and ensures every person has the opportunity to not just get by, but to get ahead.”
Harris expressed gratitude towards Biden and the Democratic Party, saying, “I am grateful to President Biden and everyone in the Democratic Party who has already put their faith in me, and I look forward to taking our case directly to the American people.”
By Monday night, Harris had secured the backing of well over the 1,976 delegates required to win on the first ballot, according to the Associated Press (AP) tally. No other candidates were mentioned by delegates contacted by the AP. However, the AP has not yet declared Harris the presumptive nominee, as delegates are still free to vote for any candidate at the convention in August, or if a virtual roll call is held before the gathering in Chicago.
The AP tally was compiled through interviews with individual delegates, public statements from state parties, many of which have declared their support for Harris, and endorsements from individual delegates.
By: Montana Newsroom staff
