- By Aashish Vashistha
- Mon, 22 Jul 2024 08:45 AM (IST)
- Source:Reuters
The recent decision by Joe Biden to withdraw from the US Presidential Election 2024 and rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris has dramatically reshaped the landscape of the 2024 race for the White House. The development has set the stage for Kamala Harris to directly challenge Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in what is shaping up to be a fiercely contested and pivotal election year.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Biden announced that he would not be seeking re-election "in the best interests” of his party and country. In a similar post, he endorsed Harris as the new Democratic nominee for the presidential race. Following Biden’s announcement, Harris said that she was “honoured to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”
Who Is Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris’s candidacy holds significance in American political history as she belongs to a diverse background. Harris was born in California to Shyama Gopalan, a Tamil biologist and Jamaican-American father, Donald J Harris, who was a professor.
Her selection as Vice President in 2020 was a landmark achievement, making her the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to hold the office. After getting degrees in Economics and Political Science, Harris decided to pursue law, joining the Bar Association in 1990. In the same year, she began working as a deputy district attorney in California.
Kamala Harris is the first non-white candidate for the US Presidential elections. (Reuters Image)
In 2003, she was chosen to serve as San Francisco's district attorney. She served as California's elected attorney general for two terms, in 2010 and 2014. She was then elected as a junior US senator from her state in 2017. Harris received massive recognition for her support for tax and health reforms, citizenship for immigrants and gun control laws.
First Non-White Woman To Become US Presidential Nominee
In over two centuries of American democracy, voters have elected only one Black president and never a woman. If she defeats Republican candidate Trump in November, she would be the first non-white woman and a person of South Asian descent to serve as president.
Democratic Consensus Solidifies Around Harris
Soon after Biden’s unexpected withdrawal from the presidential contest on Sunday, many Democrats swiftly supported Vice President Kamala Harris to challenge Donald Trump as the party's presidential contender. The list of Democratic politicians who were endorsing Harris as a presidential candidate increased soon after Biden withdrew his nomination.
According to news agency Reuters, the list includes California Governor Gavin Newsom, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, US Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, US Senator Patty Murray of Washington state, US Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, and US Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington.
