Photo: LM Otero Associated Press Kamala Harris arrives for a speech to members of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority Wednesday in Houston
Frankie Taggart – Agence France-Presse and Lucie Aubourg – Agence France-Presse in Washington
Published at 9:50 a.m. Updated at 6:18 p.m.
- United States
Kamala Harris will be formally nominated as the Democratic candidate for the US presidential election in November to face Donald Trump following an online process that began on Thursday.
Less than two weeks after Joe Biden’s historic withdrawal from the race for the White House, several thousand party delegates began voting this morning to choose the vice president as his official replacement.
The outcome of this process is not in doubt: the former senator from California is the only candidate in the running.
As a general rule, the official inauguration of the candidate takes place in person at a major party convention, scheduled this year in Chicago from March 19 to August 22.
But due to procedural requirements, Democrats decided to move the vote forward, online. A rare procedure that should be similar to that of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vote is scheduled to end late Monday. The Democratic Party has not detailed how the election might or might not be monitored day-to-day and how its results will be announced.
“Transparent process”
Until recently, many of the more than 3,900 Democratic delegates across the country—local elected officials, activists, and nonprofit workers—had no choice but to nominate Joe Biden, who won the primary earlier this year.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000But they were freed from that constraint after the current president threw in the towel, prompted by concerns about his age and health.
Kamala Harris, 59, quickly established herself as the only possible replacement, amassing support among party officials, better poll numbers than Joe Biden, a surge in mobilization and funds in a soaring fundraising campaign.
The election thus shifted from an open primary to an expected plebiscite, thereby averting the risks of the internecine war briefly feared after Joe Biden’s decision.
“Our party has met this unprecedented moment with a transparent, democratic and orderly process to unite behind a proven candidate who will lead us in the fight that lies ahead,” said Jaime Harrison, the leader of the Democratic Party.
The fight at the polls against Donald Trump in November promises to be tough, with polls now showing him neck and neck with his Democratic rival.
With less than 100 days to go until the US presidential election, the Republican has stepped up his attacks on Kamala Harris, going so far as to accuse her of defining herself as “Black” for political reasons and of speaking with a fake accent.
Born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, she is the first Black and Asian person to have reached the US vice presidency.
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Mystery running mate
In addition to the inauguration, Kamala Harris has another important step to take in the coming days: choosing her running mate, who will become vice president if she is elected.
The former attorney general and senator from California is likely considering inviting a white man to join her to form the famous “ticket,” according to political observers. The names of four governors of key states, as well as a senator, are constantly being discussed.
But his decision “has not yet been made,” his team stressed again Tuesday evening.
The only certainty: she and her running mate are due to travel to no fewer than seven states together next week, a tour that is set to begin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, according to US media.
The duo will then be celebrated in mid-August in Chicago, a gathering that promises to be a grand inauguration party.