$60 million raised for Harris after announcing presidential run
SAN JOSE, Calif. - With less than four months to go before the presidential election, raising campaign funds will be crucial for Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign.
Donations have already begun to pour in since she announced her Presidential candidacy.
"To now have another possibility of America’s first female president, there’s a whole group of folks in America whom that is what they have been waiting for," said Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College.
With the endorsement of President Biden on Sunday, Harris announced she will campaign to be the next president of the United States.
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She the People is an Oakland-based national support group for women of color in politics. Founder Aimee Allison said Silicon Valley has a history of donating to candidates like Harris.
"It’s good to understand the role of the Bay Area in terms of funding national elections. When it comes to particularly women of color, Bay Area donors have funded congressional, Senate, and presidential campaigns for a long time and that’s why you see so many candidates coming here," said Allison.
Allison said at least $60 million was raised for Harris on Sunday across the country and six states have already pledged their delegates.
"We’re going to see fundraisers; we’re going to see house parties. We’re going to see a lot of money generated to support the Harris campaign from the Bay Area," said Allison.
With the presidential election just months away, Steve Phillips, a political analyst and podcast host of Democracy in Color, said Democratic voters don’t want a battle over the nominee.
"Historically, the vice president has always been the heir-apparent in politics, period, and in the Democratic Party, in particular. So, I think those concerns are overblown, and I think everyone else is not waiting around for some kind of manufactured process. People are ready to go, and they are getting going," said Phillips.
Allison said the work has already begun to secure Democratic delegates for Harris and if she reaches 1900 delegates, she will have enough pledged delegates to secure the nomination.