Vice President Kamala Harris returned to California on Sunday in a bustling homecoming after becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, reveling in being surrounded by supporters she has known for decades while also warning that if Without a Democratic victory in November, the country’s future will be bleak.
“It’s good to be home,” Harris told an audience of about 700, who cheered and jumped to their feet as she walked onto the stage in a San Francisco hotel ballroom. “This room is filled with dear friends and long-time supporters — people I’ve known throughout my career. … We’ve been through a lot together. I want to thank everyone here for the love. , your long-term support and friendship, and your dedication to this country.
The atmosphere at the fundraiser was warm and upbeat – a woman in the front row waved a sign that read “Make America Happy Again.” But Harris got serious when she argued that basic rights such as health care, same-sex marriage and abortion were at risk in her race against former President Trump.
“We know what we need to do – we need to knock on doors, we need to register people to vote, we need to get people to the polls. Every day counts,” she said. “That’s why we’re going to win, but let’s not take anything for granted.”
The event attracted House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, Governor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Rep. Barbara Lee, San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Bell and many other elected officials and donors, raising more than $12 million. Ticket prices range from $3,300 to $500,000.
Harris served as a prosecutor and city hall attorney in San Francisco before being elected district attorney in 2002, which laid the foundation for her later roles as state attorney general and U.S. senator.
“It’s a great day as we welcome Kamala Harris back home to California,” Pelosi said as she introduced the vice president. “She made us all so proud, she brought us so much joy, she gave us so much hope.”
There was a family reunion feel to the event. Harris’ niece’s children posed for photos in front of a Harris/Walz campaign sign on stage. She summoned several attendees from the stage, with Newsom receiving the most attention. She recalled the day they were sworn in in San Francisco in 2004, she as district attorney and he as mayor, and their work that year to get gay couples married.
“I have known Gavin as a friend and colleague for many years,” she said. “I want to thank you in front of all our friends for being such an outstanding leader for California and the nation.”
The event capped a whirlwind three weeks in the presidential race, with President Biden announcing he would not seek re-election, Democrats quickly rallying around their vice presidential nominee, and Harris choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Waugh Ertz as her running mate.
In his first interview since announcing he would not seek re-election, Biden said his decision was driven by the importance of defeating Trump, concerns among some members of the House and Senate that he could hurt their chances, and the possibility that his candidacy ” ” becomes a real distraction.
“To me, the key issue remains maintaining this democracy, which is not a joke,” he said in an interview that aired on CBS on Sunday. While “it’s a tremendous honor to be president, I think I have an obligation to the country to do the most important thing I can do, and that is, we have to — we have to — we have to defeat Trump.”
Harris and Walz toured swing states last week, events that drew large crowds.
“People come to these events and they bring a lot of joy. People are singing and dancing in the aisles long before we get there,” Harris said. “They’re not just showing up because we have to defeat Donald Trump, they’re showing up because they believe in our country and our freedoms.”
Democrats gained support from the powerful culinary workers union in Las Vegas on Saturday, when Harris announced her support for not taxing tips — a proposal that is hugely popular among service industry workers and one that Trump has A proposal supported in June.
The Republican campaign said in a statement, “Copycat Kamala directly plagiarized President Trump’s policy proposal to not tax tips, allowing hard-working service workers to keep more of their hard-earned money.”
Sunday’s fundraiser also comes four years after Biden selected her as his running mate and months after Harris’ failed 2020 presidential bid.
“This is the best decision I have ever made,” Biden wrote in his fundraising appeal. “Kamala is sharp. She is strong. She will make a great president.
California Republicans chose the location for Sunday’s fundraiser to raise questions about Democratic leadership and point to San Francisco’s dysfunction.
“For anyone unsure of what a Harris presidency will look like, take some time to visit her hometown, where crime is rampant and homelessness is on nearly every street corner, as businesses close and people move away. Storefronts and office spaces are empty.
Given California’s deep blue leanings, November won’t be controversial. But it’s home to many wealthy donors, so it provides the most campaign cash to candidates of both parties. Republican vice presidential candidate and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance recently held two fundraisers in the state. Walz is expected to attend a fundraiser in Newport Beach on Tuesday, the same day Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff raised money at an event in Los Angeles.
Attendee Susie Tompkins Buell, co-founder of Esprit and The North Face, has known Harris since the 1990s. “Danger from within”.
“Kamala’s youth and positivity are like a refreshing breeze on a hot and humid day. So refreshing and hopeful.
“She has been an important part of our community for many years,” added. “I’m so impressed with her persistence. She’s so confident in herself and her style is the same, it’s just improved. It’s all very impressive.
