Vice President Kamala Harris is now formally the Democratic Party's presidential nominee for 2024.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced the news Monday, following the conclusion of a five-day virtual slate of pledged delegates to the party's national convention, which begins in two weeks in Chicago.
The nomination comes hours before Harris is set to announce her choice of running mate. The vice president and her yet-to-be-announced running mate will kick off a seven-state swing tour Tuesday night with a rally in Philadelphia.
The formal securing of the nomination on Monday came three days after Harris secured the votes of a majority of pledged delegates.
Vice President Kamala Harris waves to the crowd during a campaign rally, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
“I am very proud to confirm that Vice President Harris has earned more than a majority of the votes cast by all convention delegates and will be the Democratic Party's nominee after voting closes on Monday,” DNC Chairwoman Jaime Harrison said in a statement Friday.
Harris, in a call with supporters on Friday, said: “I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States.”
Harris' nomination was never in doubt, as the vice president was the only candidate who qualified for the presidential nomination ticket. But it marks a historic milestone in the nation's history, as Harris becomes the first woman of color to lead the national ticket of a major political party.
While the official nominating vote by delegates was conducted remotely, the DNC said a ceremonial slate will be held at the Democratic National Convention, which begins Aug. 19 in Chicago.
Harris' formal victory in the nomination comes two weeks and a day after President Biden's shock announcement that he would end his 2024 reelection campaign against former President Trump, the Republican Party nominee.
President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, on his decision to drop his bid for Democratic presidential reelection. (Evan Vucci, Pool via AP)
Biden's surprise news came amid mounting pressure within the Democratic Party for him to step down after a disastrous performance in last month's first presidential debate with Trump. Biden, 81 years old His halting and staggering speech raised questions about his physical and mental fitness to serve another four years in the White House.
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But Biden’s immediate endorsement of Harris sparked a groundswell of support for the vice president from governors, senators, House members and other Democratic Party leaders. Within 36 hours, Harris announced she had secured her party’s nomination by winning the verbal backing of a majority of the convention’s nearly 4,000 delegates.
Now that the virtual presidential nominations round has concluded, DNC rules allow Harris to place her running mate's name on the nomination sheet.
According to the DNC, the convention chair would then declare that candidate the party's vice presidential nominee.
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