International
-Sathish Raman
Vice
President
Kamala
Harris
is
breaking
fundraising
records
as
Democratic
donors,
both
large
and
small,
contribute
significantly
following
President
Joe
Biden’s
unexpected
decision
to
step
down.
Harris’s
team
raised
over
$81
million
within
24
hours
of
Biden’s
announcement,
according
to
campaign
spokesperson
Kevin
Munoz
on
Monday.
This
amount,
which
includes
funds
from
the
campaign,
the
Democratic
National
Committee,
and
joint
fundraising
committees,
is
the
largest
24-hour
sum
reported
by
either
party
in
the
2024
campaign.
image
The
surge
in
donations
positions
Harris
strongly
for
the
Democratic
Party’s
presidential
nomination
at
next
month’s
national
convention.
The
donor
support
coincides
with
endorsements
from
most
Democratic
governors
and
members
of
Congress.
“The
historic
outpouring
of
support
for
Vice
President
Harris
represents
exactly
the
kind
of
grassroots
energy
and
enthusiasm
that
wins
elections,”
Munoz
stated.
Record-Breaking
Fundraising
Future
Forward,
a
major
super
PAC
in
Democratic
politics,
announced
it
had
secured
$150
million
in
commitments
from
previously
hesitant
donors
over
the
same
period.
Combined,
these
contributions
place
Harris
in
a
dominant
position.
Michael
Kempner,
a
member
of
Biden’s
national
finance
team,
remarked
on
Harris’s
rise:
“This
is
the
next
generation
people
have
been
waiting
for.
The
donors
I’ve
spoken
to
are
enthusiastic
about
supporting
her.”
Harris’s
initial
24-hour
fundraising
total
surpassed
the
$50
million
Trump
raised
after
his
felony
convictions
and
the
$38
million
Biden
secured
following
a
poor
debate
performance
last
month.
The
Trump
campaign
has
not
disclosed
its
fundraising
totals
immediately
after
last
weekend’s
assassination
attempt;
a
spokesman
did
not
respond
to
a
request
on
Monday.
Grassroots
Support
Overall,
Harris’s
campaign
reported
that
888,000
grassroots
donors
contributed
within
the
previous
24
hours,
with
more
than
500,000
making
their
first
donation
of
the
2024
campaign
cycle.
While
some
elite
donors
remain
vocal
holdouts,
most
appear
to
be
rallying
behind
Harris
to
capitalize
on
her
momentum.
At
least
two
major
donor
calls
were
scheduled
by
Harris
allies
on
Monday,
with
another
planned
by
the
Democratic
National
Committee
later
in
the
week.
Many
big-dollar
donors
and
rank-and-file
Democratic
voters
wanted
Biden
to
step
aside
due
to
concerns
about
his
physical
and
mental
strength.
Michael
Smith,
a
Los
Angeles
donor
who
hosted
numerous
fundraisers
for
Biden
with
his
partner
James
Costos,
expressed
relief:
“It
was
a
cliffhanger.
Nobody
really
knew
what
was
happening.
Now
it’s
a
new
game.”
Mixed
Reactions
Among
Donors
Not
all
reactions
were
positive.
Tech
billionaire
Vinod
Khosla
expressed
reservations
on
social
media
about
backing
Harris
immediately:
“I
want
an
open
process
at
the
convention
and
not
a
coronation.”
John
Morgan,
another
major
Democratic
donor
who
had
already
given
$1
million
to
Biden,
indicated
he
would
not
raise
more
money
for
Harris
if
she
becomes
the
nominee.
Despite
some
dissenters,
most
critics
seemed
to
be
in
the
minority.
Chad
Griffin,
a
top
Democratic
fundraiser
in
Los
Angeles
and
member
of
the
campaign’s
national
finance
committee,
praised
Harris:
“She’s
the
trusted,
tested
leader
we
need
to
carry
us
to
victory
in
November.”
He
added
that
he
is
fully
committed
to
electing
Kamala
Harris
as
the
next
President
of
the
United
States.
Biden-Harris
Campaign
Infrastructure
With
Biden’s
endorsement,
Harris
appears
to
have
inherited
his
extensive
national
infrastructure
and
millions
of
dollars
previously
raised
by
his
team.
As
of
June’s
end,
the
Biden-Harris
campaign
reported
nearly
$96
million
cash
in
hand
according
to
Federal
Election
Commission
filings.
On
Sunday,
new
paperwork
filed
with
the
FEC
established
Harris
as
the
principal
candidate.
There
is
some
debate
among
campaign
finance
officials
over
whether
Harris
now
has
complete
control
of
these
funds;
however,
few
expect
any
serious
legal
challenges.
Meanwhile,
Harris’s
campaign
sent
out
new
fundraising
emails
and
text
messages
on
Monday.
In
one
message
asking
for
$20
donations,
Harris
declared:
“Now
is
our
chance
to
make
history.”
The
massive
fundraising
haul
ensures
that
Harris
and
her
allies
can
compete
with
Donald
Trump,
who
has
also
generated
significant
fundraising
totals
recently
as
he
seeks
a
return
to
the
White
House
following
multiple
felony
convictions
and
an
assassination
attempt.
