Kamala Harris secures necessary delegate votes to become Democratic presidential nominee | US News
Kamala Harris has secured enough delegate votes to become the Democratic presidential nominee, making her the first woman of color to lead a major US party’s election ticket.
The current vice president has been the frontrunner to challenge Republican Donald Trump since Joe Biden dropped out of the race last month.
Ms Harris gained support from party leaders after President Trump endorsed her to run in his place, and she was the sole candidate to meet the requirements for the Democratic presidential ballot.
Party delegates voted online this week, with Ms Harris needing at least 2,350 votes to officially clinch the nomination, according to her campaign.
The virtual voting process is ongoing until Monday, but she has already surpassed the necessary threshold.
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Ms Harris, who was present for the livestreamed announcement, declared, “The power lies with the people. We will win this election, and it will require all of us.”
She is expected to formally accept the nomination at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) from Monday, August 19th to Thursday, August 22nd.
She added, “Later this month, we will come together in Chicago as a united party to celebrate this historic moment.”
Mr Biden endorsed his VP to run in his place when he exited the presidential race last month. File pic: AP
The DNC conducted a virtual vote to ensure the nomination was finalized by August 7th – the deadline for a nominee to be set to appear on the Ohio ballot.
Ohio politicians extended the deadline to September 1st, but Democratic party officials opted to meet the original deadline to avoid any legal complications.
Ms Harris has not yet selected her running mate but is expected to interview candidates over the weekend.
