Vice President Kamala Harris appears to be cruising to the Democratic nomination as donations pour into her campaign coffers and prospective rivals offer up their endorsements to her.
After President Joe Biden stepped down from his 2024 reelection campaign and endorsed Harris on Sunday, there appeared to be a little doubt within the party of whether there should be an open primary in order to let voters, not delegates, decide who the Democratic nominee will be.
But any movement toward that end looks to have been eradicated by the overwhelming support Harris has received within her own party and from donors, who have shattered fundraising party records since Biden stepped down. One of the most telling signs that Harris could become the presumptive nominee very soon was former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) endorsement of her, given the congresswoman’s influence within the party that may have also contributed to Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
Pelosi endorsed later than many other Democrats, including potential challengers Govs. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), and Gavin Newsom (D-CA), among others. Those endorsements and others have largely cleared the way for Harris to garner delegates and support within her party.
There remain some pockets of opposition: Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) declined to endorse her Monday, wishing there had been a primary after he was momentarily floated as a candidate to oppose her. Former President Barack Obama has also declined to speak on her candidacy. Others within Congress haven’t endorsed Harris yet.
Even if Harris faced a Democratic opponent, she would have the political and financial support of the party behind her, making it highly unlikely a challenger could carve out a niche of voters large enough to mount a successful campaign against her.
Instead, the race has mainly shifted to a different narrative: Who will be Harris’s running mate? Govs. Andy Beshear (D-KY) and Roy Cooper (D-NC) fit the mold of centrist, Southern-state governors who could “balance the ticket” well. Several others, such as Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), have also been floated.
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It’s not completely known how Harris will become the Democratic nominee, but delegates have begun to endorse her and pledge their vote to her. If enough commit to her, she will become the Democratic nominee at August’s Democratic National Convention.
Former President Donald Trump appeared dismayed at Biden’s withdrawal from the race, posting on Truth Social multiple times after Biden announced he was going to step down, with most of the posts blasting Biden and the Democratic Party’s process for moving forward with Harris.