US election campaign: Harris starts the election campaign with tailwind

US Vice President Kamala Harris is starting the presidential campaign with a lot of tailwind as a possible replacement candidate for Joe Biden. According to media estimates, the 59-year-old Democrat currently has the support of enough Democratic delegates to run as her party’s presidential candidate against Republican Donald Trump in November. In addition, she has raised a record amount of donations since her boss’s withdrawal, raising 81 million US dollars in 24 hours. US President Biden is returning to the capital Washington, after isolating himself in his private home since last Wednesday with a corona infection.

Harris’ success has given Democrats hope for the long-awaited turnaround in the election campaign against Trump. Important party members, including top Democrat Nancy Pelosi, have publicly backed her. However, support from the two top Democrats in the US Congress is still pending.

Media: Enough delegates support Harris

Harris could be chosen as the candidate at the latest at the Democratic Party’s nominating convention from August 19 to 22 in Chicago. The presidential election will take place on November 5. But several delegates have already announced that they will follow Biden’s recommendation and give their vote to the vice president – because of his withdrawal, they are now free to decide who they vote for. To be chosen as the candidate, Harris needs just under 2,000 delegate votes. According to estimates by various US media, she has already reached this hurdle. However, the delegates at the party convention in August are initially free to vote for another candidate.

Nevertheless, Harris thanked the delegates for their support in a statement. “I look forward to officially accepting the nomination soon,” she said. Harris stressed that she was proud that the delegates from her home state of California had helped her overcome the hurdle. According to media reports, the support of the many delegates from the most populous state in the USA is mainly due to Pelosi, who as a congresswoman represents a Californian constituency.

Pelosi supports Harris “officially, personally and politically”

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives had previously backed Harris “officially, personally and politically.” As a long-time member of Congress, the 84-year-old continues to have great influence within her own party – in the debate about Biden’s suitability for a second term, she was considered an important figure in the political game.

The US President was the first to pledge his full support to Harris. Other party leaders then quickly spoke out in her favor – including governors Gavin Newsom (California), Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania) and Roy Cooper (North Carolina), who were also considered possible candidates. The Vice President also does not have to fear competition from the influential governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, after she stepped down. From the left wing of the party, Harris received support from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Former US President Barack Obama, on the other hand, only spoke of his confidence that “an outstanding candidate” would be found. The Democratic minority leader in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, and the party’s majority leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, also initially remained cautious. They said Harris had “got off to a good start.” However, there was no direct support.

Harris campaign team announces record donations

Harris not only seems to have the support of her own party to a large extent – she would also be well equipped financially to start a race against Trump: her campaign team says it has raised 81 million US dollars (73 million euros) in the past 24 hours. This is the highest sum ever raised by a potential candidate in this period, it said. The 81 million US dollars will therefore flow into a coffer that is already filled with around 240 million US dollars (220 million euros).

Biden returns to Washington

While Harris is warming up for the election campaign, Biden will return to the US capital Washington today. The 81-year-old had been isolating himself in his private residence in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, since last Wednesday due to his corona infection. According to his personal physician, Biden is on the road to recovery. However, it remains unclear whether the US President is still infected with the coronavirus. It is also unclear exactly which of Biden’s appointments will take place this week. Before Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to both US Congressional chambers planned for Wednesday, Israel’s Prime Minister wanted to meet with Biden. The US President had also announced that he would explain his reasons for withdrawing from the election campaign in more detail this week.

Harris: “I know guys like Donald Trump”

Shortly before his return to the White House was announced, Biden joined Harris by phone during a visit to the Democratic campaign headquarters. It was the first time since his withdrawal that the president’s voice had been heard in public. He had announced his decision in writing from Corona isolation.

During her appearance before campaign workers in Wilmington, US state, Harris hinted at how she would present herself as a candidate against Trump. Among other things, she said that as a prosecutor and attorney general of California, she had dealt with all kinds of criminals. “Criminals who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers and con artists who broke the rules for their own benefit,” she said. “So listen to me when I say that I know guys like Donald Trump.”

Vance: Harris “a million times worse than Biden”

The Republican opposition, for its part, launched further verbal attacks on Harris. At appearances in the states of Ohio and Virginia, Trump’s running mate JD Vance described her as “a million times worse than Biden”. She shared responsibility for the incumbent’s policies, the tone was that she was responsible. Vance painted a picture of “foggy rooms” in which “elite Democrats” had conspiratorially planned to overthrow Biden. Last week, the Harris team described the running mate as an “extremist” who had himself been “bought” by major donors from Silicon Valley.

It remains to be seen whether Harris can beat Trump. Many Democrats hope that she will at least prevent the Republicans from controlling both chambers of the US Parliament – because in the election in the fall, all seats in the House of Representatives and around a third of the seats in the Senate will be reallocated.