Harris Clinches Democratic Nomination with Major Delegate Victory

Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison announced Friday that Vice President Kamala Harris has amassed the necessary delegate votes to secure the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nomination.

Although delegate voting commenced on Thursday and won’t conclude until Monday, Harrison confirmed by Friday afternoon that Harris had surpassed the required votes.

“I am so proud to confirm that Vice President Harris has earned more than a majority of votes from all convention delegates and will be the nominee of the Democratic Party following the close of voting on Monday,” Harrison stated.

The party unified around Harris rapidly following President Joe Biden’s announcement on July 21 that he would not seek reelection and endorsed Harris as his successor. Key endorsements soon followed from prominent Democrats, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

This broad support eliminated any potential challenge to Harris’s candidacy ahead of the Democratic National Convention. Attention now shifts to Harris’s choice for a running mate, with Pritzker and Whitmer remaining in the pool of potential candidates.

The sudden show of party solidarity comes after weeks of internal conflict concerning Biden’s reelection viability. Concerns over Biden’s age, now 81, intensified following his poor June 27 debate performance against former President Donald Trump, leading to mounting pressure for him to step aside.

Harris has also garnered the backing of major labor unions, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Communications Workers of America, the Service Employees International Union, and the United Auto Workers.

However, support for Harris isn’t unanimous. Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has withheld her endorsement, calling for a “transparent democratic process at an open convention next month.” While other members of the progressive “Squad” like Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez support Harris, Tlaib’s support is contingent on various policy commitments.

Some left-leaning commentators criticize Harris’s perceived rightward shift on several issues. Her record as District Attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011, and California’s Attorney General from 2011 to 2017, is under renewed scrutiny, particularly her actions on truancy laws and cannabis convictions.

Despite criticism, Harris’s campaign finances are robust. Her campaign reported raising around $100 million within 36 hours of Biden’s dropout announcement, a figure that has reportedly tripled to over $300 million by the end of July. Moreover, the super PAC Future Forward secured an additional $150 million in commitments, bolstering her campaign’s resources.

Women Vote, another super PAC, launched Harris’s first campaign ad on July 22, emphasizing her stance on reproductive rights. The ad contrasts Harris with Donald Trump and other Republicans on the issue of abortion, promising that Harris “won’t back down” on abortion access.

Harris’s campaign has gained traction in Gen Z online culture. Pop singer Charli XCX’s July 21 social media post declaring “kamala IS brat” linked Harris to her latest album “brat.” The campaign adopted the album’s lime-green color scheme on social media, spawning numerous viral videos featuring Harris set to the album’s tracks.

Additionally, an ironic online trend called “coconutposting” emerged, inspired by Harris’s comment during a May 2023 White House speech. In the speech, Harris humorously quoted her mother about young people’s lack of historical awareness by asking, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”