Indian American Senator Kamala Devi Harris from California, dropped out of the 2020 Presidential race after months of slumping poll numbers and difficulties raising cash — a whimpering end to a Democratic presidential bid that kicked off with significant promise, New York daily News reported.
Harris, who was the only black and Indian woman in the race, raised an impressive $12 million in the first three months of campaigning and quickly secured a list of high-profile endorsements in California meant to bolster her image in her delegate-rich home state.
Her poll numbers surged after the first debate in June.
But as the primary field expanded, Harris struggled to court enthusiasm and has for the past few months faced plenty of rebuke from the party’s progressive flank over her record of aggressively prosecuting drug offenses while serving as Attorney General of the California.
She’s been placing fifth at best in the most recent polls. Kelly Mehlenbacher, a senior adviser on Harris’ campaign, resigned last month in favor of a job as the deputy chief operating officer of Bloomberg’s campaign.
Despite her recent drop in the polls, Harris was far from the worst-polling candidate.
She had already qualified for the fifth Democratic debate on Dec. 19 along with Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer.
Candidates like Cory Booker, Andrew Yang, Tulsi Gabbard and Julian Castro have had an even harder time than Harris to gain support and all four have yet to qualify for this month’s debate, the report said.
Biden, who frequently clashed with Harris on the campaign trail, said he had mixed emotions in light of her exit. ‘She is a first-rate intellect, a first-rate candidate and a real competitor,’ Biden told reporters during a campaign stop in Iowa. ‘I have mixed emotions about it because she is really a solid, solid person and loaded with talent.’
Kamala’s message to supporters
Eleven months ago at the launch of our campaign in Oakland I told you all: “I am not perfect. But I will always speak with decency and moral clarity and treat all people with dignity and respect. I will lead with integrity. I will speak the truth.”
And that’s what I have tried to do every day of this campaign. So here’s the truth today.
I’ve taken stock and looked at this from every angle, and over the last few days have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life.
My campaign for president simply doesn’t have the financial resources we need to continue.
I’m not a billionaire. I can’t fund my own campaign. And as the campaign has gone on, it’s become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete.
In good faith, I can’t tell you, my supporters and volunteers, that I have a path forward if I don’t believe I do.
So, to you my supporters, it is with deep regret -- but also with deep gratitude -- that I am suspending my campaign today.
But I want to be clear with you: I am still very much in this fight.
And I will keep fighting every day for what this campaign has been about. Justice for The People. All the people.
Our campaign has been about fighting for people whose voices have not been heard or too often ignored.
We will keep up that fight.
Let’s remember: we were the first to put the injustice of inadequate teacher pay on the national agenda.
We will keep up that fight.
We were the first to demand justice for our children, declaring we would take bold executive actions to stop gun violence.
We will keep up that fight.
We were the first to demand justice for women with a plan to block unconstitutional state abortion laws.
We will keep up that fight.
And our campaign uniquely spoke to the experiences of Black women and people of color -- and their importance to the success and future of this party. Our campaign demanded no one should be taken for granted by any political party.
We will keep up that fight because no one should be made to fight alone.
And I believe our campaign showed every child in America -- regardless of their color or gender -- that there are no limits to who can lead and hold positions of power in our country.
In that way -- this campaign has been so much bigger than me.
I am extremely grateful to the hundreds of staff who moved and uprooted their lives and sacrificed time away from their families. I know our fight has been personal for each of them.
Of course I could not have done this without my husband Doug and my entire family and friends who gave up so much to embark on this journey with me and have supported me every step of the way.
And I am grateful to the thousands of volunteers and contributors who chipped in, who knocked on doors, who made calls and who put their faith and trust in me. It has been the honor of my life to be your candidate.
And I want to be clear: although I am no longer running for President, I will do everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump and fight for the future of our country and the best of who we are.
I know you will too. So let’s do that together.
Let’s keep fighting for the America we believe in, an America free of injustice. An America that we know we can be unburdened by what has been.
Thank you.
— Kamala
