Kamala Harris Wins Enough Delegate Votes to Become Democratic Presidential Nominee – Essence

Vice President Kamala Harris has officially won enough delegate votes to secure the Democratic nomination. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison announced the news Friday, noting that the virtual roll call, which ends Monday, confirmed majority support for Harris, ABC News reports.

“I am proud to announce that Vice President Harris has won a majority of all delegate votes at the convention and will be the Democratic nominee when voting closes on Monday,” Harrison said during a campaign update telephone news conference on Friday.

Harrison praised the delegates for his or her swift motion, stating, “You have made your voices heard loud and clear: We will not back down. We must send Kamala Harris to the White House.”

Starting at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, delegates will vote by email or phone in a virtual vote hosted by the DNC. Voting will last until 6 p.m. ET on Monday. Harris, who joined the decision, expressed gratitude and confirmed that she’s going to officially accept the nomination once the voting period ends.

“I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States,” said Harris, who was named the presumptive nominee Tuesday after emerging because the only qualified candidate within the party’s process. “As your next president, I know we are ready for this fight, and when we fight, we win.”

Harris’ nomination shouldn’t be only a milestone, it’s a historic leap. If she wins the final election in November against former President Donald Trump, she could be the primary woman to function president. She is already the primary woman, Black person, or person of South Asian descent to function vp.

Harris’ rapid rise to the highest of the ticket comes just 12 days after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign on July 21. The quick turnaround is a remarkable show of unity for a celebration that recently was divided over Biden’s candidacy.

Biden’s endorsement of Harris shortly after announcing his decision to step down helped consolidate support from Democratic donors and officials across the vp.