Vice President Kamala Harris has received enough votes from Democratic delegates to secure the party’s nomination for president, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Jaime Harrison announced.
In a statement, Harrison proudly confirmed that Vice President Harris had earned a majority of votes from all convention delegates and would be the Democratic nominee following the close of voting on Monday.
The DNC began its early virtual roll call of delegates on August 1st at 9 a.m. in order to nominate its candidate and meet ballot certification deadlines in multiple states later this month.
The virtual voting process will continue until August 5th, but Harris has already met the delegate threshold required to secure the nomination.
“I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee,” said Harris during a call with her supporters.
Harrison stated that the DNC would unite around Vice President Kamala Harris and showcase the strength of the party at the convention in Chicago on August 19-22.
Harris expressed her gratitude for being the party’s presumptive nominee and confirmed that she will formally accept the presidential nomination next week after the official end of voting.
After Harrison’s announcement that she had secured enough delegates, the vice president joined a campaign livestream on August 2nd.
Harris expressed excitement for the upcoming journey but acknowledged the need for hard work, stating, “We know we have a lot of work to do.”
“The power is with the people,” Harris emphasized. “We are going to win this election, and it is going to take all of us.”
Harris obtained support from 3,923 delegates by August 1st, surpassing the minimum requirement of 1,976 delegates needed for the nomination.
The official selection of the nominee will take place on August 7th, although no other candidate has reached the delegate threshold to challenge Harris.
While Harris has yet to announce her running mate, she indicated that she will make the announcement before her campaign stop in Philadelphia on August 6th.
Her vice presidential shortlist includes Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
If nominated, Harris would be the first black woman to be nominated for president in U.S. history, with her Jamaican father and Indian American mother.
The DNC decided in May to hold a virtual roll call for the presidential nomination due to early ballot certification deadlines in Ohio (August 7th) and Alabama (August 15th) prior to the convention.
Although both states have moved their deadlines to September 1st and August 23rd respectively, the DNC decided to stick to their plans for an early roll call to ensure ballot access in all 50 states and prevent any legal challenges. Additionally, Montana, Oklahoma, Virginia, and California face deadlines in the same week as the convention.