Energized Democrats quickly consolidate around Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris is rapidly consolidating support from a broad swath of the Democratic Party — including lawmakers, governors and influential labor and advocacy groups — as she seeks to effectively box out any rivals and lock down the party’s nomination to take on Donald Trump.

Vice President Kamala Harris is rapidly consolidating support from a broad swath of the Democratic Party — including lawmakers, governors and influential labor and advocacy groups — as she seeks to effectively box out any rivals and lock down the party’s nomination to take on Donald Trump. In her first half-day as a 2024 presidential candidate, Harris raised $49.6 million in online donations, campaign spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said — a huge haul that underscored grassroots enthusiasm for a shake-up to the Democratic ticket. Democratic donation-processing site ActBlue called it “the biggest fundraising day of the 2024 cycle.” Meanwhile, Harris locked down the support of several Democrats who had been seen as potential rivals. And with independent West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin saying Monday he will not run, a credible challenger for the party’s 2024 nod has yet to emerge. As of Monday morning, Harris has endorsements from more than 30 Democratic senators, nearly 80 House members and several governors — including potential vice president contenders such as Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, North Carolina’s Roy Cooper, California’s Gavin Newsom and Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro. Those numbers were rapidly growing. She also has the support of the political arms of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus, as well as two key labor unions, Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of Teachers. And several state delegations to next month’s Democratic National Convention — Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina — announced that they are backing Harris.