WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Sunday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the brand new Democratic presidential nominee, passing the torch to the California native who has helmed administration initiatives on reproductive rights and gun management.
A former U.S. senator from California who vied for her get together’s presidential nomination within the 2020 primaries, Harris, 59, would signify a brand new era on the high of the ticket after Biden, 81, withdrew from the race underneath stress from Democratic leaders following a disastrous late June debate efficiency.
Harris, the nation’s first girl vice chairman, now has an opportunity to grow to be the primary girl president, relying on what Democrats determine. She can be the primary Black vice chairman and first individual of South Asian descent to function vice chairman.
Some within the get together publicly floated her as a possible substitute for Biden following the talk. Biden initially refused to finish his reelection bid regardless of a rising variety of calls inside the Democratic Social gathering for him to step apart. He bowed out on Sunday.
“At the moment I wish to supply my full help and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our get together this 12 months. Democrats — it’s time to come back collectively and beat Trump. Let’s do that,” Biden mentioned in a Sunday put up on X.
Coverage initiatives
Throughout her time as vice chairman, Harris turned a number one voice within the administration’s battle for reproductive rights and abortion entry — usually seen as Democrats’ strongest subject for the reason that U.S. Supreme Court docket overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, which ended almost half a century of the federal constitutional proper to abortion.
Harris launched a “Combat for Reproductive Freedoms” tour in early 2024, bringing her to a number of swing states. And after touring a Deliberate Parenthood clinic in Minnesota, Harris was believed to be the primary sitting president or vice chairman to tour an abortion clinic.
Harris has additionally targeted on gun security all through her vice presidential tenure. She introduced the launch of the Nationwide Excessive Danger Safety Order Useful resource Heart in March to help states, native governments and others in “optimizing the utilization of pink flag legal guidelines,” in line with the White Home.
She additionally referred to as on states to move so-called pink flag legal guidelines — which allow legislation enforcement to petition civil courts to remove firearms from those that may pose a hazard to themselves or others — and use Bipartisan Safer Communities Act funding to “to assist implement legal guidelines already enacted.”
The administration championed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Biden signed into legislation in June 2022. The measure was considered probably the most complete federal gun security laws in nearly 30 years.
She’s additionally been a pointy opponent, alongside Biden and different Democrats, of Mission 2025 — the almost 900-page doc from the Heritage Basis that proposes a sweeping conservative agenda if former President Donald J. Trump is elected. Although Trump has distanced himself from the platform, some former members of his administration helped write it.
Harris has additionally drawn criticism on either side of the aisle for her efforts surrounding immigration. Biden tapped her in 2021 to assist handle the “root causes” of migration in Central America.
She visited the U.S.-Mexico border in June 2021 after making stops in Guatemala and Mexico earlier that month, the primary worldwide journey for her as vice chairman.
Republicans have repeatedly referred to as her a “border czar” regardless of her focus being on migration’s “root causes” in Central American international locations.
Throughout the Republican Nationwide Conference in Milwaukee, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida was certainly one of a number of audio system who dubbed her a “border czar,” including the barb that “appointing Kamala Harris to supervise the border is like appointing Bernie Madoff to supervise your retirement plan.”
Harris additionally holds the document for the very best variety of tie-breaking votes solid within the U.S. Senate.
Public polling and notion
Because the fallout from the June 27 debate, a slew of polls have provided blended outcomes as as to whether voters would select Harris over Trump if the 2 have been up in opposition to one another.
An Economist/YouGov ballot performed July 13-16 reveals each Harris and Biden narrowly behind Trump, with Biden performing barely higher than Harris.
Solely 39% mentioned they’d select Harris, in comparison with 44% who would vote for Trump. Equally, 41% mentioned they’d vote for Biden, in comparison with 43% selecting Trump.
As of mid-July, her approval rankings additionally appeared dim, with 50.4% of People disapproving of her and 38.6% approving.
California background
Previous to serving as vice chairman, Harris was a U.S. senator from California from 2017 to 2021. With an extended profession in legislation enforcement, she served because the legal professional common of California and was additionally the district legal professional of San Francisco.
Harris vied for the Democratic nomination within the 2020 presidential election earlier than finally withdrawing her candidacy months later and subsequently endorsing Biden. She dropped out previous to the Iowa caucuses, ending her bid in December 2019, regardless of being initially considered as a high Democratic contender.
She was born in Oakland, California, in 1964 to immigrant mother and father. She is married to Doug Emhoff, who’s the primary Jewish partner of both a U.S. president or vice chairman, in line with the White Home. He’s additionally the primary second gentleman in U.S. historical past. Harris is an alumna of Howard College, a traditionally Black establishment, and obtained her legislation diploma from the College of California, Hastings.
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