Vice President Kamala Harris officially declares candidature for US presidential elections

WASHNGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday officially signed her forms, declaring her candidacy for the post of President of the US and voiced confidence that she would win the high-stakes election on November 5.

“Today, I signed the forms officially declaring my candidacy for President of the United States. I will work hard to earn every vote,” 59-year-old Harris, who is of Indian and African origin, said on X.

“In November, our people-powered campaign will win,” the presumptive Democratic Party candidate said, referring to her electoral battle with former president and the Republican Party’s nominee Donald Trump.

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Harris launched her presidential campaign last Sunday, hours after President Joe Biden, 81, withdrew from the race for a second term. She is, however, yet to be officially declared as the presidential candidate by the Democrats.

If elected on November 5 to succeed President Biden, Harris – the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother – would not only be the first woman, but the first Indian-American, the first Asian, the first Black woman and the first person of Jamaican descent to ascend to the office.

Meanwhile, no other Democrats have announced their candidacy for the presidential race. Harris has secured endorsements from more than 40 state delegations, surpassing the number of delegates she will need to win the nomination and if that support holds, Democrats will officially nominate her for president during a virtual roll call vote early next month.

Under new rules adopted by the Democratic National Committee on Wednesday, the nominee will be selected as soon as August 1, and the candidate has until August 7 to select a running mate. The party will meet for its convention in Chicago starting August 19.

Harris, who was a senator from California before she was elected vice president, quickly hit the campaign trail with events in Wisconsin, Indiana and Texas. Her campaign said it raked in more than USD 130 million since she officially joined the White House race.

The endorsement comes as ‘Harris for President’ kicks off a ‘Weekend of Action’ marking 100 days until Election Day (on November 5).

With over 1,70,000 volunteers and 2,300 events across the battleground states, Team Harris is making its case to the voters who will decide this election about the fundamental choice they will face this November at the ballot box.