Kamala Harris Campaign Raises $200 Million as Democratic Momentum Grows

July 29:
The campaign of US Vice President Kamala Harris has reportedly raised USD 200 million, according to Al Jazeera, just seven days after US President Joe Biden left the contest for president and backed her as his successor. On Sunday, the campaign released its most recent fundraising total, stating that 66% of the money came from individuals who gave for the first time during the 2024 election cycle.

The Harris campaign has also enlisted the aid of more than 1,70,000 volunteers to assist with canvassing, phone banking, and other forms of voter turnout. "The energy and momentum 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," said campaign communications director Michael Tyler in a memo.

While Biden's campaign and its Democratic allies raised USD 264 million in the second quarter, Donald Trump's campaign announced in early July that it raised USD 331 million, surpassing them.

As of the month of June, the Trump campaign had 284.9 million USD in the bank, and the Democratic campaign had 240 million USD. Following Biden's withdrawal from the race—caused by his dismal performance in the June 27 debate against Trump—Democratic support swiftly unified behind Harris.

The backing of former president Bill Clinton, secretary of state Hillary Clinton, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was swiftly announced. On Friday, former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, who are prolific Democratic fundraisers, also pledged their support. But next month, at the Democratic National Convention, the party's nomination for Harris will be decided, according to Al Jazeera.

At her Saturday event, Harris stated that her campaign was gaining momentum despite her status as the "underdog" in the race. She has breathed new life into a campaign that was in disarray before her takeover. Democrats were worried that Biden wouldn't be able to defeat Trump or stay in the White House even if he did. During his Saturday campaign stop in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Trump referred to Harris as a "crazy liberal," alleged that she wanted to "defund the police," and characterized her as a "absolute radical" when it came to abortion.

According to Al Jazeera, with 100 days until the elections, recent surveys have showed that Harris and Trump are virtually tied, indicating that the campaign would be closely contested. During an appearance on MSNBC on Sunday, Harris's campaign co-chair Mitch Landrieu praised her, saying, "had one of the best weeks that we've seen in politics in the last 50 years." "This is going to be a very close race," he declared.