Vice President Kamala Harris stands on the cusp of history of being the first black woman as the presidential nominee of a major political party in the United States.
Harris could be nominated the Democratic party nominee for the November polls following the withdrawal of President Joe Biden, 81, from the race on Sunday.
“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made,” Biden wrote. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.”
Biden’s decision comes after weeks of pressure from Democratic lawmakers and donors who feared he lacked the mental and physical stamina to win and serve four more years.
If the Democratic party takes this step, Harris will square up against Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump.
According to Reuters, the U.S. has in more than two centuries of democracy, elected only one black president and never a woman, a record that makes even some black voters wonder if Harris can crash through the hardest ceiling in U.S. politics.
“Will her race and gender be an issue? Absolutely,” said LaTosha Brown, a political strategist and co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund.
Harris would face other big challenges: if promoted to the top of the ticket, she would have barely three months to campaign and unite the party and donors behind her. But many Democrats are excited about her chances.
Harris, 59, is two decades younger than Trump and a leader in the party on abortion rights, an issue which resonates with younger voters and Democrats’ progressive base. Proponents argue she would energize those voters, consolidate Black support, and bring sharp debating skills to prosecute the political case against the former president.
Her candidacy would offer a contrast with Trump and his vice presidential running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, the two white men on the Republican ticket, Brown said.
Reactions have continued to trail Biden’s quitting the race and endorsement of Harris.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called him “a great public servant who knows better than anyone what it takes to defeat Donald Trump” and said she would continue to do “everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom thanked Biden for his decision, calling him an “extraordinary, history-making president.”
“Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he’s a truly amazing human being. His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer posted to X.
