Credits: Reuters
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign announced on Sunday that it has raised an impressive $200 million and signed up 170,000 new volunteers within a week of Harris becoming the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid last Sunday, endorsing Harris for the November 5th election against Republican former President Donald Trump.
“In the week since we got started, @KamalaHarris has raised $200 million dollars. 66% of that is from new donors. We’ve signed up 170,000 new volunteers,” Harris’ deputy campaign manager, Rob Flaherty, posted on X.
Recent polls, including one by Reuters/Ipsos, indicate a tight race between Harris and Trump, with both candidates essentially tied as the campaign heats up with just 100 days remaining until the election.
Trump’s campaign previously reported raising $442.8 million from April through June, with $284.9 million in cash on hand.
Harris has gained the support of a majority of delegates to the Democratic National Convention, making her the likely nominee for president next month.
“So our vice president is the presumptive nominee. We will have the official vote on August 1,” Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison told MSNBC on Sunday.
Biden’s withdrawal came amid growing concerns about his age and health following a lackluster debate performance against Trump in late June. He has pledged to serve out his term, which ends on January 20, 2025.
Harris’ candidacy has revitalized a campaign that had been struggling due to doubts about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump or govern effectively if reelected.
Polls had shown Trump gaining an advantage over Biden, particularly in battleground states, after Biden’s debate misstep.
A New York Times/Siena College national poll published Thursday showed Harris narrowing what had been a significant Trump lead. Meanwhile, a Wall Street Journal poll published Friday gave Trump a two-point lead over Harris. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on July 23 showed Harris with a two-point lead.
Mitch Landrieu, a campaign co-chair, praised Harris’s momentum on MSNBC, saying she “had one of the best weeks that we’ve seen in politics in the last 50 years.”
“This is going to be a very close race,” he said.
