Kamala Harris Wins Democratic Presidential Nomination amid Virtual Roll Call Vote

Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, less than two weeks after President Joe Biden’s historic decision to suspend his reelection campaign.

A virtual nominating process began on Thursday, Aug. 1, and party delegates were given four days to complete the roll call. Though other Democrats could have challenged Harris for the party’s nomination, nobody else chose to join the race, leaving delegates with the option to either vote for Harris or vote “present.”

On Friday, Aug. 2, Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison revealed in a livestream that a majority of Democratic delegates had cast their votes for Harris, confirming her place as their history-making nominee.

Harris will now be the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major party’s presidential ticket. She plans to formally accept the nomination after the virtual voting period ends on Monday evening.

The Democratic National Convention — where the delegate roll call would typically take place — is scheduled for Aug. 19-22 in Chicago. However, the Democratic National Committee earlier decided on a process to set the party’s nominee by Aug. 7, CNN reported.

Biden announced his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race on Sunday, July 21, and quickly endorsed his vice president. The decision came after concerns about his age bubbled up in the wake of his feeble performance during the first 2024 presidential debate against the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump. 

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One day after his announcement, Harris said in a statement she was “grateful” to Biden, 81, and other members of the Democratic Party who have “already put their faith in me.”

“When I announced my campaign for President, I said I intended to go out and earn this nomination,” Harris said in the statement. “Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party’s nominee, and as a daughter of California, I am proud that my home state’s delegation helped put our campaign over the top. I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon.” 

In Biden’s own statement as he stepped aside, the president said, “I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.”

“I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do — when we do it together,” he added. “We just have to remember we are the United States of America.”

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Harris later said she was “honored” to have Biden’s endorsement, adding she intends to “earn and win” the Democratic presidential nomination.

Hours after Biden made his announcement, Harris and Biden filed documents with the Federal Election Commission to officially change the name of the campaign to “Harris for President.”