Vice President Kamala Harris has the support from enough Democratic delegates to sew up the Democratic nomination.
CNN and other outlets calculated that delegates from enough states have said they would back Harris that she has more than the 1,976 pledged delegates needed to win the Democratic presidential nomination at the convention in Chicago next month.
The news comes one day after President Joe Biden dramatically departed the race, endorsing Harris on his way out.
So far, there hasn’t been Democratic resistance to having Harris take over the top of the ticket.
Marianne Williamson, the self-help guru who challenged Biden in the primaries earlier this year, said she wanted there to be an open convention.
But with a majority of delegates saying they’ll vote Harris, it’s unlikely an insurgent candidate would gain much traction.
Vice President Kamala Harris has the support of enough Democratic delegates – that previously had been committed to voting for President Joe Biden – that she’s sewn up the Democratic nomination as of Monday night
Vice President Kamala Harris (left) and second gentleman Doug Emhoff (right) hold hands before a crowd of campaign staffers, after President Joe Biden called in during Harris’ visit Monday and say that his decision to bow out of the race was for the best
Outgoing West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin also briefly flirted Sunday with throwing his hat in the ring, but he changed his tune by Monday.
Manchin had left the Democratic Party in May, re-registering as an independent while serving his final eight months in Congress.
Once Biden dropped out – and because he did so prior to roll call vote – his delegates were free to back whomever they wanted.
The endorsement from Harris’ home state of California’s delegation put the VP over the top mathematically Monday night.
‘When I announced my campaign for President, I said I intended to go out and earn this nomination. 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,’ Harris said in a statement. ‘I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon.’
Biden was going to earn the nomination through a virtual roll call vote ahead of the Democratic National Convention – originally due to Ohio having an early ballot deadline.
Harris could also win the nomination this way – with the convention roll call vote merely being a formality.
‘I am grateful to President Biden and everyone in the Democratic Party who has already put their faith in me, and I look forward to taking our case directly to the American people,’ Harris also said.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the search for a vice president was already starting with a number of swing state and midwestern Democrats being vetted.
The paper said that Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker are on the list.
So far it appears Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear – another Democratic up-and-comer – isn’t on the VP shortlist.
Harris officially took over what had been the Biden-Harris campaign earlier Monday, with a trip to campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.
There the president broke his silence, calling in to talk to campaign staff about his extraordinary decision to pass the baton to his vice president.
The 81-year-old spoke in a scratchy voice to campaign staffers from COVID isolation at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home and told Harris: ‘I’m watching you kid’.
Vice President Kamala Harris visits what had been the headquarters for the Biden-Harris campaign in Wilmington, Delaware on Monday
He pledged to still be involved in the reelection fight and said he would continue to hit the campaign trail as he interacted on loudspeaker with his staffers who now work for Harris.
Biden’s comments followed questions of why he hadn’t been seen or heard from since he made the bombshell announcement on X Sunday afternoon that he was stepping aside.
‘I know yesterday’s news is surprising and hard for you to hear, but it was the right thing to do,’ the president said.
‘I know it’s hard because you poured your heart and soul into me, to help us win this thing, help me get this nomination, help me win the nomination and then go on to win the presidency,’ he continued.
Already there were signs that the campaign had moved on, with signage that read ‘Harris for President,’ ‘Kamala,’ and ‘Restore Roe’ hung on the walls of the office.
There was one wall in the Delaware office that remained covered in signs with the ‘Biden-Harris’ logo.
As Harris took the podium, she noted how Biden was still on the call.
‘We love Joe and Jill,’ the vice president said.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at what had been the Biden-Harris campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware on Monday, as she took over the campaign operation as the likely soon-to-be Democratic nominee
‘It’s mutual,’ Biden interjected from the phone line.
‘I knew you were still there, you’re not going anywhere Joe,’ she said laughing. ‘I love you Joe,’ she added.
Harris thanked the campaign staff and announced that current campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillon, would run her campaign. The current Biden-Harris campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez – a former Harris Senate staffer – would also stay on.
‘And I know it’s been a roller coaster and we’re all filled with so many mixed emotions about this,’ Harris said. ‘I just have to say, I love Joe Biden, I love Joe Biden and I know we all do and we have so many darn good reasons for loving Joe Biden.’
‘And I have full faith that this team, is the team, will be the reason we win in November, you all who are here,’ the soon-to-be Democratic nominee continued.
Vice President Kamala Harris (right) and second gentleman Doug Emhoff (left) arrive in Wilmington, Delaware Monday afternoon to appear before the Biden-Harris campaign staff as the VP takes over the campaign operation
President Joe Biden was last seen publicly on Wednesday after contracting COVID-19 and departing Las Vegas for his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home. It was there that he made the decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and hand the operation over to Harris
Harris said she was honored to have the president’s endorsement.
‘It is my intention to go out and earn this nomination and to win,’ she said.
Democratic lawmakers, donors and grassroots supporters have coalesced around Harris, who would be the first woman and woman of color to be elected U.S. president.
A spokesperson for the campaign said that the Harris campaign raised $81 million in donations since Biden bowed out and more than 28,000 individuals signed up to volunteer.
Biden’s campaign staff had been blindsided with the news that he was dropping out of the 2024 race – finding out via the X post Sunday like the rest of the American people.
‘No one had a heads up before the tweet posted,’ a campaign source told DailyMail.com Sunday. ‘Which to me is an insane way to treat the 1,300 people that work for you,’ the source added.
‘Kamala’ signs are seen on display around what had been President Joe Biden’s reelection headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware. On Monday, Biden called in while Harris was visiting campaign HQ, as she takes over the campign
Vice President Kamala Harris (left) kisses her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff (right), before delivering remarks Monday at the Wilmington, Delaware campaign headquarters she was inheriting from President Joe Biden
At 5 p.m. Sunday on an all-staff call, O’Malley Dillon assured aides that their jobs would remain.
She also acknowledged that it was ‘hard for staff who may have gotten the news while they were working or door knocking,’ but that it was ‘important’ that they heard from the president ‘in his own words.’
Shortly after Biden posted the letter saying he was bowing out of the race he said in a follow-up post on X that he was endorsing Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee.
‘I’m hoping you’ll give every bit of your heart and soul that you gave to me to Kamala,’ Biden said on loudspeaker Monday. ‘And I want you to know, I won’t be on the ticket but I’m still going to be fully, fully engaged.’
‘I’ve got six months left of my presidency, I’m determined to get as much done as I possibly can – both foreign policy and domestic policy,’ he continued, making mention of ‘working for an end to the war in Gaza.’
The president added that he would be doing ‘whatever Kamala wants me or needs me to do in addition.’
‘So let me be real clear. We’re still fighting in this fight together. I’m not going anywhere,’ the president said.
He hasn’t been seen publicly since Wednesday since testing positive for COVID-19.
The White House’s daily guidance indicated the president would return to Washington Tuesday, however there are no additional public events on Biden’s schedule.
Harris will hit the campaign trail Tuesday – traveling to Milwaukee, where Republicans gathered last week for the Republican National Convention.