Kamala Harris secured votes needed for Democratic party presidential nomination

The Democratic National Committee announced on Friday that Vice President Kamala Harris has received enough votes to ensure that the Democratic Party will run against Republican nominee Donald Trump in November.

Harris was the only candidate in the five-day electronic vote, with the support of 4,000 delegates.

Harris’ campaign team announced that they raised $310 million in July, more than double the amount Trump raised.

The money follows Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race on July 21, restoring financial support to donors who had moved away due to concerns about the president’s age and declining physical and mental abilities.

The Harris campaign said this was the largest raised for the 2024 election, noting that the campaign benefited from an ideal month of fundraising from small donors, more than double what the Trump campaign raised in the same month.

Trump’s team announced that it raised $138.7 million in July, a significant sum raised in the month he survived an assassination attempt and received significant support during the Republican convention.

Financial donations are an essential part of US campaigning, heavily used to produce visual ads promoting candidates and their promises, and posted online and on television channels in the months leading up to the election.

Political finance specialist Open Secrets predicts that the 2024 election will be one of the most expensive in US history, potentially surpassing the previous record of $5.7 billion spent in the 2020 election.

Joe Biden, (81), decided to drop out of the race and support Vice President Harris to replace him, given voter fears and the pressure he faced due to his advanced age and declining abilities.

Harris is expected to formally announce as the Democratic nominee in early August.

Despite the Democratic Party’s new momentum, observers caution against overly optimistic, as Trump remains ahead in the polls.