With no one to overshadow her, US Vice President Kamala Harris will face a vote by delegates to the Democratic National Convention from today until 5 August to ratify her candidacy.
This is a new online voting procedure adopted by the organisation last week and Harris has the overwhelming support of top Democratic leaders and most of the delegations attending the 19-22 August meeting in Chicago, less than 10 days before the start of her campaign following the departure of President Joe Biden.
Under party rules, a candidate can compete for the nomination if he or she files a notarised declaration of candidacy and meets the legal requirements to be president and has secured the electronic signatures of at least 300 delegates.
According to the data, a total of 3,923 delegates supported Harris’ nomination (1,976 was the minimum to secure the position).
She is expected to announce her running mate by 7 August. Speculation is increasingly narrowing down to two names: Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania (a key swing state this year), and Mark Kelly, Senator from Arizona.
Recent polls indicate that nearly eight in 10 Democrats are satisfied with the former California attorney general and former senator as the presidential nominee.
Harris, 59, opened her new challenge to Republican Donald Trump, 78, on the right foot, in what could become perhaps one of the most blistering campaigns in US electoral history, given the characteristics of the former president, known for his misogynistic and racially charged rhetoric. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina warned not long ago that they should be prepared for a completely different race if Harris, whom he described as a vigorous candidate, gets the nomination.
For the lawmaker, it was crucial to prevent Trump from falling into attacks on Harris that could hurt his electoral career.
Yesterday Trump attended the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago and brought out part of the hairy ear when he attacked his opponent with off-the-cuff remarks about her racial heritage, prompting immediate reaction from the White House, his campaign, members of Congress and his supporters.
In a campaign that is heating up, the vice president is making gains in broadening and motivating the base particularly among young people, blacks and Latinos, including among the undecideds who aspire to another generation of leaders.
