Vice President Kamala Harris’ nascent presidential campaign raised nearly $50 million following President Biden’s decision Sunday to drop out of the race and endorse his No. 2 for the top job, according to aides.
“Harris for President has raised $49.6m in grassroots donations since President Biden’s endorsement of VP Harris yesterday,” spokesman Brian Fallon posted Monday on X.
Ms. Harris is trying to consolidate support from the Democratic Party after Mr. Biden’s historic decision left the party in uncharted waters.
Many would-be rivals for the top spot on the Democratic ticket endorsed her Sunday, and a robust fundraising performance among grassroots voters could convince deep-pocketed givers to get out their checkbooks.
The Democratic National Committee has a process in place to nominate someone online, though it could postpone picking a new candidate until delegates meet in person at the Aug. 19 convention in Chicago.
The nominee would need the backing of roughly 300 delegates to get on the ballot.
SEE ALSO: Kamala Harris says she’s ‘honored’ to have Biden’s support and will run for nomination
Among the reasons Ms. Harris is a favorite to replace Mr. Biden is that it will ensure the Biden-Harris war chest remains with the ticket, which is critical for funding the campaign.
Party leaders are also leery of the reaction from the Democratic base if they decide to bypass Ms. Harris, who would be the first female Black nominee.
Ms. Harris has suffered from low poll numbers, but some surveys showed her outperforming Mr. Biden.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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