Vice President Kamala Harris raised $81 million for her White House bid in the first 24 hours after President Biden announced he would not seek reelection, the largest campaign haul in such a period in history.
More than 880,000 donors contributed to Harris' campaign, the Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees, according to Harris' campaign.
“The historic outpouring of support for Vice President Harris represents exactly the kind of grassroots energy and enthusiasm that wins elections,” Harris campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said in a statement. “We are already seeing a broad and diverse coalition coming together to support our critical work of speaking to the voters who will decide this election.”
Muñoz added that “Donald Trump is terrified because he knows that his divisive and unpopular agenda cannot compete with the Vice President’s record and his vision for the American people.”
Former President Trump's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Amid concerns about his cognitive and physical abilities, Biden, 81, announced Sunday that he would not seek reelection and endorsed Harris.
As vice president, Harris does not automatically receive the Democratic nomination, but she has already received a groundswell of support from party leaders, donors and liberal allies such as labor unions.
It is difficult to chart a path for another Democrat to compete for the nomination before party delegates meet next month to choose their standard-bearer at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. There is already widespread speculation about who his running mate would be.
Money raised for the Biden-Harris ticket was transferred to Harris's new presidential campaign. The ticket had raised $296 million as of June 30, according to the Federal Election Commission, while Trump had raised $221 million.
Unsurprisingly, both candidates received the most money from Californians, reflecting the state's size and concentration of wealthy donors.
