Vice President Kamala Harriscampaign has amassed $200 million in donations in the first week since she became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race and endorse her.
In addition to the financial support, the Harris campaign has also garnered the backing of over 170,000 volunteers who have committed to assisting with various voter outreach efforts, such as phone banking and canvassing, as the election approaches in just 100 days.
The campaign announced the latest fundraising figures on Sunday, highlighting that two-thirds of the contributions came from first-time donors in the current election cycle, with most donations made after Biden’s endorsement.
Michael Tyler, the campaign’s communications director, wrote in a memo, “The momentum and energy for Vice President Harris is real — and so are the fundamentals of this race: this election will be very close and decided by a small number of voters in just a few states.”
Harris attended a fundraiser in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on Saturday, which had initially been organized when Biden was still leading the Democratic ticket. The event, which was expected to raise $400,000, ultimately brought in an impressive $1.4 million, according to the campaign.
Following Biden’s exit from the race, Harris rapidly gained the support of prominent Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn, former President Bill Clinton, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On Friday, influential Democratic leaders former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama also announced their endorsement of Harris.
Despite the growing support, Harris acknowledged at her Saturday fundraiser that she still considers herself the “underdog” in the race, although her campaign is gaining momentum.
Future Forward, the largest super PAC in Democratic politics, announced last week that it had secured $150 million in commitments from donors within the first 24 hours of Biden’s withdrawal and endorsement of Harris.
The impact of Harris’ emergence as the likely Democratic nominee has also been felt by Democratic House and Senate candidates, who have reported a surge in support for their own campaigns.
Harris is set to be formally nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate at the party’s national convention in Chicago next month.
(With agency inputs)





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