Kamala Harris secures delegate support following Biden's exit

Pelosi, Obama remained notably silent as about 4,000 Democratic delegates from August 19-22 will back her bid

WASHINGTON:

US Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign officials and allies made hundreds of phone calls on Sunday to secure delegate support for her presidential nomination ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August. Their efforts aimed to block any potential challengers, multiple sources said.

Simultaneously, Democratic state party chairs held a Sunday afternoon call to discuss backing Harris as the party's nominee. Several participants confirmed that Harris has the chairs' full support.

Harris's outreach to delegates began almost immediately after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid on Sunday. Securing delegate support and the backing of state chairs is crucial to ensuring Harris replaces Biden on the November 5 ballot as the party's rival to Republican Donald Trump.

"A lot of people are working on it right now," a source familiar with the matter said. "She has made clear she will work to earn their support," the source added.

The vice president's office and the Harris reelection campaign declined to comment. Several leading Democrats endorsed her on Sunday, but prominent figures like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama remained notably silent.

Approximately 4,000 Democratic delegates, meeting in Chicago from August 19-22, will choose the Democratic Party's nominee. Most delegates are committed to Biden after state primaries this year. Following his abrupt announcement, they are not legally bound to support any specific candidate.

Although Biden was the presumptive nominee, he has no direct power to choose the delegates' formal nominee. Harris needs the support of 1,969 of the 3,936 Democratic delegates to secure her nomination at the August convention.

The southern US state of Tennessee became the first to pledge its 70 delegates to the vice president, sources added.

Even before Biden stepped aside, Harris began to emerge as the consensus pick. In an open nominating process, the vice president has several advantages over any potential challengers.

Bruce Thompson, a North Carolina attorney and early backer of Harris's failed 2020 presidential bid, said he had been actively calling delegates to secure their support for Harris. Thompson, who also serves on the Democrats' powerful rules committee, reported broad support for Harris.

Chip Forrester, co-chair of the southern region finance committee of the Biden-Harris campaign, said the Tennessee delegation voted unanimously to support Harris as president. "Tennessee became the first state in the country to officially unanimously endorse Harris as president," Forrester said.

Asif Mahmood, a Pakistani American doctor, delegate, and Democratic fundraiser based in California, stated he had personally spoken with 60 delegates, all of whom agreed to back Harris. "There is a new excitement, a new hope that this can be done," Mahmood told Reuters.

He predicted Harris would raise $700 million to $1 billion before the Nov. 5 election and expected $30 million to be raised within the next 24-48 hours.

Abortion rights groups, including Emily's List and Reproductive Freedom for All, also began reaching out to delegates to advocate for Harris. The vice president has been a leading voice for abortion rights within the Biden administration.