New York: In a historic turn of events, Kamala Harris has clinched the delegate votes required to become the Democratic U.S. presidential nominee, marking her as the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket.
The current U.S. Vice President rose to the forefront of the Democratic race after President Joe Biden withdrew last month under party pressure. Swiftly gaining the endorsement of party leaders, Harris stood as the sole candidate on the Democratic presidential ballot, ensuring an uncontested delegate vote.
Delegates cast their votes virtually this week, culminating in an announcement during a livestream event attended by Harris. She expressed her intention to officially accept the nomination next week once the voting period concludes.
“But already I’m happy to know that we have enough delegates to secure the nomination,” Harris remarked, acknowledging her groundbreaking role as the first Black and Asian person to hold the U.S. vice presidency. “And later this month, we will gather in Chicago united as one party where we’re going to have an opportunity to celebrate this historic moment together.”
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Harris needed to achieve a 2,350-vote threshold to formally secure the nomination, according to her campaign. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) had promised to present a presidential nominee by August 7, ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from August 19-22.
The DNC opted for a virtual vote to comply with Ohio law, which initially mandated a nominee by August 7 to be on the state’s ballot. Despite Ohio lawmakers extending the deadline to September 1, DNC officials aimed to meet the original August 7 deadline to avoid any legal complications.
