Harris Secures Presidential Nomination as Democratic Delegates Rally Strong Support

Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the necessary endorsements from Democratic delegates to become the party’s presidential nominee, according to unofficial delegate trackers.

A tracker from The Associated Press reported that 2,688 delegates have committed to voting for Harris on the first ballot of the party’s nominating vote. A candidate needs 1,976 delegates on the first ballot to clinch the Democratic nomination.

If these delegates hold their endorsements, Harris will officially become the nominee during the vote next month. Several state parties convened on Sunday and Monday following President Joe Biden’s unexpected decision to end his reelection bid on Sunday afternoon, despite being the presumptive nominee after a string of primary victories.

Biden endorsed Harris soon after exiting the race, and numerous state parties, elected officials, unions, and influential organizations followed suit at emergency meetings.

Harris declared victory in the nomination race on Monday night, following an endorsement from the California delegation. “Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party’s nominee, and as a daughter of California, I am proud that my home state’s delegation helped put our campaign over the top,” Harris said in a statement. “I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon.”

The Democratic National Committee is set to meet on Wednesday to establish a nomination framework and virtual roll call to select a presidential candidate ahead of the Democratic National Convention scheduled from August 19 to August 22 in Chicago.

The virtual roll call is a pre-convention measure to adhere to an Ohio law that mandates parties select a candidate 90 days before Election Day, which conflicted with the Democrats’ original convention timeline.

Harris will also need to choose a running mate. According to an MSNBC report, the campaign has requested vetting materials from five potential candidates: Governors Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Tim Walz of Minnesota, along with Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.