WASHINGTON: US Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential election campaign said on Sunday that it had raised $200 million and signed up 170,000 new volunteers within just one week of her becoming the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
The substantial fundraising haul and impressive volunteer recruitment follow President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid and endorse Harris as the Democratic nominee for the upcoming November 5 election against former Republican President Donald Trump.
Rob Flaherty, Harris’s deputy campaign manager, revealed the campaign’s financial and organizational milestones on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “In the week since we got started, @KamalaHarris has raised $200 million dollars. 66 percent of that is from new donors. We’ve signed up 170,000 new volunteers.”
Polling conducted over the past week, including surveys by Reuters/Ipsos, indicates a highly competitive race between Harris and Trump, with the two candidates essentially neck-and-neck. This sets the stage for an intense and closely contested campaign as the election approaches, with just 100 days remaining until voters head to the polls.
In comparison, Trump’s campaign reported raising $331 million in the second quarter of 2024, surpassing the $264 million raised by Biden’s campaign and Democratic allies. Trump’s campaign ended June with $284.9 million in cash on hand, while the Democratic campaign had $240 million. The substantial financial resources at Trump’s disposal underscore the highly competitive nature of the 2024 presidential race.
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Harris has secured backing from a majority of delegates to the Democratic National Convention, positioning her as the likely nominee for the party’s presidential candidacy. Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison confirmed this on MSNBC, stating, “So our vice president is the presumptive nominee. We will have the official vote on August 1.”
Biden’s withdrawal from the race came amid concerns about his age and health, particularly following a poor debate performance against Trump in late June. Despite Biden’s decision to step back from the campaign trail, he has pledged to serve out his term as president until January 20, 2025.
Harris’s recent campaign resurgence has revitalized the Democratic ticket, which had struggled amidst doubts about Biden’s ability to effectively challenge Trump or continue in office if re-elected. Recent polls have shown Harris making significant gains, including a New York Times/Siena College national poll that reported a narrowing of Trump’s lead and a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicating a slight edge for Harris.
Mitch Landrieu, a campaign co-chair, praised the campaign’s momentum on MSNBC, describing Harris’s performance as “one of the best weeks that we’ve seen in politics in the last 50 years.” Landrieu emphasized the tight nature of the race, stating, “This is going to be a very close race.”
Trump’s fundraising and campaign dynamics have been notably influenced by recent high-profile events, including his conviction on felony charges related to a hush-money payment and an assassination attempt against him earlier this month. These events are expected to continue impacting campaign contributions and the overall electoral landscape.
