The party chair said she had won enough delegates to secure the nomination, setting up Kamala Harris to become the first Black woman and person of South Asian heritage to earn the top spot on a major political ticket for president.
Here’s the latest on the presidential race.
Vice President Kamala Harris has won enough delegates to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination, the Democratic National Committee said on Friday, setting Ms. Harris up to become the first Black woman and person of South Asian heritage to earn the top spot on a major political ticket for president.
Jaime Harrison, the party chair, said Ms. Harris’s nomination would become official after the party’s highly unusual, virtual roll call vote ends on Monday. On Friday, Ms. Harris’s campaign announced the addition of several top advisers, including David Plouffe, who managed Barack Obama’s first presidential run.
Here’s what to know:
- Nearing a V.P. choice: A law firm enlisted by the Harris campaign completed its formal process of vetting potential running mates. It turned over its findings to the campaign on Thursday, leaving the decision up to Ms. Harris, who will meet with finalists this weekend. Several contenders canceled events this weekend, reflecting a desire to be available for those conversations. Ms. Harris is expected to start campaigning with her chosen vice-presidential candidate early next week.
- Staff moves: In addition to Mr. Plouffe, the Harris campaign is bringing on board Jennifer Palmieri, a former Obama and Clinton communications director; Stephanie Cutter, Mr. Obama’s deputy campaign manager in 2012; and Mitch Stewart, who was Mr. Obama’s battleground states director that same year. The new aides will all report to Jen O’Malley Dillon, the campaign chair.
- Campaign cash: The Trump and Harris campaigns have announced their fund-raising totals for July, an extraordinary month in presidential politics that brought the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump, his formal nomination as the Republican candidate, the end of President Biden’s candidacy and the start of Ms. Harris’s. While both major-party candidates experienced fund-raising surges amid the upheaval, re-energized Democrats sent a record-setting $310 million into the coffers of the Harris campaign and its allied groups, more than doubling the $139 million that Mr. Trump took in, itself an enormous sum.
- Lawyers call to protect democracy: On Friday, a bipartisan task force of the American Bar Association called on lawyers across the country to protect democracy and fend off “rising authoritarianism.” The statement by the group, led by J. Michael Luttig, a conservative former federal appeals court judge appointed by President George Bush, and Jeh C. Johnson, a homeland security secretary under President Barack Obama, does not mention Mr. Trump by name but appears to be referring to his attempt to subvert his 2020 election loss.
- Prisoner swap: Ms. Harris, alongside President Biden, met with three Americans released in a prisoner swap with Russia, including Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. The deal was a diplomatic victory for the Biden administration, blunting suggestions by Mr. Trump that securing the journalist’s release would hinge on his returning to office.
