Campaign

Recap: Harris rakes in cash and support as campaign solidifies

Democrats woke Monday to a transformed presidential race after President Biden withdrew his candidacy Sunday afternoon and threw his support behind Vice President Harris.

Since then, Democrats have been coalescing around her. Harris garnered high-profile endorsements from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a handful of Democratic governors and more. On Monday, she will host an event at the White House for NCAA champions.

On the flip side of the race, vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) is set to hold two solo events, a rally in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, and another in Radford, Va.

Former President Trump on Sunday railed against Biden’s withdrawal, claiming it was undemocratic and mocking Biden’s mental fitness.

4 months ago

Pelosi moves for California delegation to endorse Harris

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Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made the motion to endorse Harris for president at a virtual meeting of California’s DNC delegation tonight, her spokesperson told The Hill.

The spokesperson added that California’s endorsement gives Harris enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

— Mychael Schnell

4 months ago

California delegation to meet tonight

Dean has Custer’s swagger

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said that the California delegation for the Democratic National Convention is meeting tonight to talk about supporting Vice President Harris to be the presidential nominee.

The California delegation has not come out publicly in support of her yet, but Garcia indicated that would be the outcome.

“Obviously, she has a huge rep in California, so we’re all in in supporting her. We’re really excited,” Garcia told reporters outside the Capitol.

— Emily Brooks

4 months ago

Vance: Harris ‘is a million times worse’ than Biden

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Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) came out swinging against Vice President Harris at a rally in Virginia, where he warned she was a “million times worse” than President Biden.

“Now, history will remember Joe Biden as not just a quitter, which he is, but one of the worst presidents of the United States of America. But my friends Kamala Harris is a million times worse and everybody knows it,” Vance said just a few minutes into his rally in Redford, Va. on Monday.

Read more here.

—Lauren Sforza

4 months ago

Harris visits campaign HQ in Wilmington

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Harris visited the campaign’s Wilmington, Del., headquarters on Monday afternoon and gave a rousing speech to an eager and excited campaign staff, surrounded by signs printed with “Harris for President” and “Kamala,” moments after Biden called in to give his first remarks since he dropped his bid.

She took digs at Trump’s legal issues, saying “hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type,” previewing how she will take on Trump on the campaign trail with her background as a prosecutor.

“Ultimately, in this election, we know we each face a question, what kind of country do we want to live in? A country of freedom, compassion and rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear and hate?” she said. “So, in the next 106 days, we have work to do. We have doors to knock on. We have people to talk to, we have phone calls to make, and we have an election to win.”

The crowd cheered for her when she asked, “are you ready to get to work?”

— Alex Gangitano

4 months ago

O’Malley Dillon to run Harris campaign

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Vice President Harris said Jen O’Malley Dillon, who ran Biden’s successful 2020 campaign and was chairing his 2024 campaign, will run her campaign moving forward as she is poised to become the Democratic nominee.

Harris said Julie Chavez Rodriguez will also continue in her role as campaign manager.

“And so over the next 106 days we are going to take our case to the American people and we are going to win. We are going to win,” she said during a stop at campaign headquarters in Delaware.

— Brett Samuels

4 months ago

Every Democratic governor has now endorsed Harris

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Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee became the 23rd and final Democratic governor to endorse Vice President Harris as the next Democratic nominee.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has delivered for the American people. Now, we have an election to win,” he wrote on X. “I proudly endorse @KamalaHarris as our next President. She is ready to serve and we’re ready to do all we can to make it happen.”

Harris launched her campaign a little over 24 hours ago and most heavyweights in the party have now backed her.

—Yash Roy

4 months ago

Harris raises $81 million in first 24 hours

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Vice President Harris raised $81 million in the first 24 hours after President Biden stepped aside and endorsed her as the Democratic nominee, her campaign said.

The campaign boasted it was the highest 24-hour fundraising haul of any candidate in history.That haul included donations from more than 888,000 grassroots donors, 60 percent of whom had not donated before in the 2024 cycle.

“The historic outpouring of support for Vice President Harris represents exactly the kind of grassroots energy and enthusiasm that wins elections,” campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement. “Already, we are seeing a broad and diverse coalition come together to support our critical work of talking to the voters that will decide this election.”

— Brett Samuels

4 months ago

Healey backs Harris

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Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey continued Harris’ streak of winning endorsements from the elected officials across the nation.

“I am proud to endorse Kamala Harris for President,” she wrote on X on Monday afternoon. “The future of our country as we know it is on the line. That’s why I am thrilled to support Kamala Harris as she works to earn the Democratic nomination and beat Donald Trump.”

4 months ago

Jeffries, Schumer to meet with Harris

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) says he and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will meet with Harris.

“I’m excited for that meeting. And let me say this, that Vice President Kamala Harris has excited the community. She’s excited the House Democratic Caucus, and she’s exciting the country,” he said. “And so I’m looking forward to sitting down with her in person in short order with Leader Schumer. And we’ll have more to say about the path forward as soon as that meeting.”

Jeffries and Harris have yet to endorse Harris, though other members of Democratic leadership in both chambers have.

— Mychael Schnell

4 months ago

Democratic Mayors and Wisconsin, New Jersey governors endorse Harris

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Over 250 Democratic mayors as well as Govs. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) and Tony Evers (D-Wis.) are now all backing Vice President Harris to be the new Democratic nominee.

“Vice President Kamala Harris is a tenacious leader who has vigorously defended our democracy, fought to protect the freedoms we hold dear, and worked tirelessly to do the right thing and deliver for us,” he wrote.

Evers released a statement on Sunday thanking Biden for his service but he did not endorse Harris as his successor until Monday.

“Just got off the phone with @KamalaHarris. I told her I will do everything I can to support her campaign for president,” Murphy wrote in a post on X. We all must come together to defeat Donald Trump this November.”

In a joint statement, the mayors of most major cities in the U.S. — including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrel, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu — wrote that they “are the closest to the people and understand better than most that too much is at stake for our communities to endure another Donald Trump presidency.”

“We are fully confident that this progress will continue under the leadership of Vice President Kamala Harris. She has been the President’s partner: delivering historic investments for our cities, championing working people, and fighting to protect our freedoms,” they wrote. “We know she will continue to be a strong ally of Mayors and cities. She is more than ready to lead our country.”

— Yash Roy

4 months ago

Frontliner backs Harris as nominee

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Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), a frontliner, threw his support behind Vice President Harris on Monday to be the Democratic Party’s new nominee.

“The choice is clear, and the contrast is stark. Vice President Harris fights for freedom. Trump wants to take it away,” Ryan wrote on X.

“Now it’s time for all freedom-loving Americans to unite and rally behind her to win this existential fight for our democracy. Let’s go!!” he added.

— Mychael Schnell

4 months ago

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“I will never forget where I came from,” Vance said several times during his Ohio rally, at the start and the end.

From starting his remarks talking about the best donuts in town, to stories about his Mamaw, Vance leaned into his roots.

The rally, about 40 minutes, wrapped with a Trump event favorite, “Y.M.C.A.”

4 months ago

Vance, Mountain Dew and racism

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Vance started a thought on Democrats on what party members believe is racist, but ended in an unexpected place:

They “say that it is racist to believe, well, they say it’s racist to do anything. I had a diet Mountain Dew yesterday and one today. I’m sure they’re gonna call that racist too. But it’s good.”

4 months ago

Vance ‘pissed off’ he now won’t debate Harris

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After riffing on democracy and the democratic process, Vance noted that with Harris shifting to the top of the ticket, President Trump is now going to have to debate Trump. Initially, a vice presidential debate would’ve pitted Vance and Harris.

Vance said the change in lineup had him kind of “pissed off.”

4 months ago

Vance hits range of topics for Ohio crowd

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Addressing a crowd of supporters in Middletown, Ohio, Vance hit a range of topics in a matter of minutes:

“We believe that we want to make more of our own stuff, and we believe that we want to have secure elections, and we believe we want to have schools that don’t indoctrinate our children’s that’s not racist, ladies and gentlemen is common American Middletown sense, and I’m proud to be from this down and it take the wisdom from it.”

4 months ago

Vance leans into energy policy, Trump’s ‘Drill baby, drill’

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Vice presidential nominee JD Vance, at a rally in Middletown, Ohio, leaned into Donald Trump’s energy policy, calling for the U.S. to produce more energy and lower energy costs.

“It’s a very, very simple concept, but it’s profound because we’ve got great energy workers. In Pennsylvania. We’ve got great energy workers in Ohio and all across our country. They want to do a good job. They want to earn a reasonable wage and they want to power the American economy. Why don’t we have a president that lets them do exactly that ladies and gentlemen, unleashing American energy drill baby drill, and let’s turn the page on this craziness.”

4 months ago

Nancy Pelosi endorses Harris

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Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is officially backing Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic Party’s nominee, an endorsement that came one day after President Biden announced that he would no longer seek re-election.

The endorsement from Pelosi — who remains a towering figure in the party — is significant, since the California Democrat played a key role in pressuring Biden behind the scenes to rethink his decision to remain in the race. Pelosi held back her support immediately after Biden stepped down and backed Harris, but offered a full-throated endorsement on Monday.

“Today, it is with immense pride and limitless optimism for our country’s future that I endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States,” Pelosi said in a statement.

— Mychael Schnell

4 months ago

LGBTQ community sounds alarm over Vance’s policies

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LGBTQ Americans and advocacy groups are sounding alarm bells over the selection of Sen. JD Vance as former President Trump’s running mate. 

In addition to a history of anti-LGBTQ statements, the Ohio Republican is the primary sponsor of at least two pieces of federal legislation threatening to sharply roll back transgender rights, including one proposal that aims to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors nationwide. 

Read more here.

— Brooke Migdon

4 months ago

Fetterman

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Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) threw his support behind Vice President Harris after President Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the race on Sunday.

“Proud to support and be all in for the next president, @KamalaHarris,” Fetterman wrote on social media platform X on Monday.

He also included a link to an ActBlue fundraising page to donate to Harris’s campaign. Just seven hours after Harris’s campaign for president was launched, small-dollar donors gave nearly $47 million on ActBlue to all races across the platform.

— Lauren Sforza

4 months ago

Whitmer says she won’t accept vice presidency

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told a local news outlet that she won’t be leaving her role, even if she’s offered a running mate slot with Kamala Harris.

On Monday morning, she told WLNS that she’s “not leaving Michigan.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said, ahead of again endorsing Harris.

She added that her endorsement came out today because she first wanted to touch base with colleagues and “let the dust settle.”

4 months ago

Vance headlines 2 rallies today

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GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) will headline two rallies today, his first since being nominated.

At 1:30 p.m., he’ll return to his hometown of Middletown, Ohio. He’ll then travel to southwestern Virginia, for an event in Radford at 6 p.m.

4 months ago

Harris to visit Wilmington campaign headquarters

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Vice President Harris on Monday will travel to Wilmington, Del., the home of the campaign headquarters that previously belonged to President Biden’s reelection campaign.

The trip will take place at 3:10 p.m., and her office said it is for a campaign engagement. It will be Harris’s first campaign engagement since Biden dropped his 2024 bid on Sunday and endorsed Harris, who said in a statement that she planned to “earn and win” the Democratic presidential nomination.

Harris shared on X that she is going to say “hello” to staff at the headquarters.

— Alex Gangitano

4 months ago

Harris will speak at 11:30am at White House event

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Vice President Harris will make her first public remarks since President Biden withdrew from the 2024 race at 11:30 a.m., during an event at the White House.

Watch the event live, here.

4 months ago

Whitmer gets behind Harris

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Monday endorsed Vice President Harris to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, giving Harris a major boost and foreclosing the possibility of the vice president facing a serious challenge from a popular battle-state governor.

“Today, I am fired up to endorse Kamala Harris for president of the United States,” Whitmer said in a statement.

Read more here.

— Alexander Bolton

4 months ago

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Former Vice President Pence on Monday praised President Biden’s decision not to seek reelection and urged leaders in both parties to “project calm” after a tumultuous few weeks in the political world.

“President Joe Biden made the right decision for our country and I thank him for putting the interests of our Nation ahead of his own,” Pence posted on the social media platform X.

— Brett Samuels

4 months ago

Trump rants as Biden drops out

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Former President Trump on Sunday went on a social media tirade against President Biden’s decision not to seek reelection in November, claiming it was undemocratic and mocking Biden’s mental fitness.

Trump posted 10 times on Truth Social between when Biden dropped out and Monday morning, complaining it was unfair to the Republican Party to have to face a new opponent and suggesting Biden should not be able to remain on as president if he can’t run for reelection.

— Brett Samuels