In the first 24 hours after President Biden announced he would not seek re-election, Vice President Kamala Harris raised $81 million for her White House bid — the largest amount of campaign funding during this period in history.
More than 880,000 donors have contributed to Harris’ campaign, the Democratic National Committee and the joint fundraising committee, according to the Harris campaign.
“The historic support for Vice President Harris is exactly the kind of grassroots energy and enthusiasm that won the election,” Harris campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said in a statement. “We have seen a broad and diverse A diverse coalition has come together to support our critical work of talking to the voters who will decide this election.”
Muñoz added, “Donald Trump is scared because he knows his divisive, unpopular agenda cannot compete with the vice president’s record and vision for the American people.”
Former President Trump’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Biden, 81, announced on Sunday that he would not seek re-election and endorsed Harris because of concerns about his cognitive and physical abilities.
As vice president, Harris will not automatically receive the Democratic nomination. But she has received strong support from liberal allies such as party leaders, donors and labor unions.
Until the party’s delegates choose a standard-bearer at next month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, it will be difficult to chart a path for another Democrat to compete for the nomination. There has been widespread speculation about who would be her running mate.
Funds raised for the Biden-Harris campaign were diverted to Harris’ new presidential campaign. The ballot had raised $296 million as of June 30, compared with $221 million for Trump, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Not surprisingly, both candidates received the most money from Californians, reflecting the state’s size and concentration of wealthy donors.
