Kamala Harris’s election campaign announced on Sunday that it has raised an astounding $200 million (Ksh. 25.9 Billion) and enlisted 170,000 new volunteers in the week since she became the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. This surge comes as Republicans continue to criticize Harris’s record as vice president.
The dramatic shift in the Democratic campaign landscape follows President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid on Sunday last week, subsequently endorsing Harris for the November 5th vote against Republican former President Donald Trump. Rob Flaherty, Harris’s deputy campaign manager, shared the impressive fundraising and volunteer numbers on X (formerly Twitter), noting that 66% of the donations came from new donors.
Recent polls, including one by Reuters/Ipsos, show Harris and Trump in a virtual tie, setting the stage for an intense and closely contested campaign over the next 100 days leading up to the election.
On the Republican side, Trump’s campaign reported raising $331 million in the second quarter, surpassing the $264 million raised by Biden’s campaign and its Democratic allies during the same period. As of the end of June, Trump’s campaign had $284.9 million in cash on hand, while the Democratic campaign had $240 million.
Harris has now secured the backing of a majority of delegates to the Democratic National Convention, ensuring her position as the party’s nominee for president next month. Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison confirmed on MSNBC that Harris is the presumptive nominee, with the official vote scheduled for August 1.
Biden’s withdrawal from the race came amid concerns about his age and health, exacerbated by a faltering debate performance against Trump in late June. Despite these setbacks, Biden has committed to remaining in office until his term concludes on January 20, 2025. Harris’s entry into the race has revitalized the Democratic campaign, which had been struggling due to doubts about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump and govern effectively if re-elected.
Prior to Harris’s candidacy, polls indicated that Trump had gained a lead over Biden, particularly in battleground states, following Biden’s poor debate performance. However, Harris’s entry has altered the dynamics. A New York Times/Siena College national poll published on Thursday showed Harris narrowing what had been a substantial Trump lead, while a Wall Street Journal poll on Friday indicated a two-percentage-point lead for Trump over Harris. Conversely, a Reuters/Ipsos poll on July 23 showed Harris with a two-point lead over Trump.
In response to Harris’s candidacy, Republican attacks have intensified. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination before endorsing Trump, labeled Harris “incredibly vapid” and predicted that Democrats would attempt to distance her from the Biden administration’s policies on immigration and other contentious issues. DeSantis accused Democrats of trying to “whitewash Harris’s background” to make her more acceptable to American voters.
Despite these attacks, some Trump allies caution that disparaging Harris could harm Trump’s outreach to Black voters, a crucial demographic in the upcoming election. Harris, the first woman and the first Black and South Asian person to serve as U.S. vice president, represents a significant milestone in American politics.
Harris’s campaign has not responded to DeSantis’s comments. However, Mitch Landrieu, a campaign co-chair, described Harris’s first week as a candidate as one of the best in political history, highlighting the excitement and momentum surrounding her candidacy. Landrieu emphasized the competitiveness of the race, predicting a very close contest.
Trump’s fundraising saw a boost following his conviction on felony charges related to a hush-money payment to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election. Additionally, an assassination attempt against him earlier this month is expected to further spur campaign contributions.
As the election approaches, both campaigns are gearing up for what promises to be a tightly contested and highly charged race.
