Kamala Harris Photo: : Getty Images
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has raised $200 million from her party’s donors in just one week after President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race and support for Harris, her campaign team said on Sunday, according to DPA.
Harris’ team described the amount as an “unprecedented record” that is “further evidence of the extraordinary support” she enjoys among Democrats.
Also, according to her team, two-thirds of those contributions came from first-time Democratic donors.
Among the big donors, the president of the Open Society Foundation, Alex Soros, the son of billionaire George Soros, called on the public to “unite around Kamala Harris and defeat Donald Trump.” The Soros family is known for its powerful support of progressive politicians and spends tens of millions of dollars on each election campaign in the United States.
However, among the Democrats there are voices in favor of an open candidate selection process. Sun Microsystems founder and investor Vinod Khosla called for an “open convention” with a “more moderate candidate” capable of attracting conservative voters. Kamala Harris primarily appeals to a progressive electorate made up of immigrants, people of color and members of the LGBT community.
President Joe Biden, who had been turning away from Democratic donors, finally announced his exit from the race last Sunday. His series of public speeches with numerous missteps cast doubt on his ability to lead the country at 81 years of age.
After Biden expressed support for Harris as his successor, she quickly became the front-runner in the intra-party race, with no serious challengers ahead of the Aug. 19-22 Democratic convention that will determine the Democratic presidential nominee. That candidate will face Republican Donald Trump on November 5.
Trump, who has already begun testing different lines of attack against Harris, called her a “liberal lunatic,” a “tramp” and a “failed vice president” during a rally on Saturday.
