Vice President Kamala Harris will campaign in the critical battleground state of Wisconsin on Tuesday for the first time as a presidential candidate after securing enough Democratic delegates to clear her path to the nomination. Harris emerged as the party’s presumed nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew from his reelection campaign on Sunday, following weeks of internal party discord and collapsing support in the face of Republican rival Donald Trump.
Within 36 hours of Biden’s endorsement, Harris clinched the nomination on Monday night by securing the pledged support of a majority of the party’s delegates, according to her campaign. “Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party’s nominee,” Harris said in a statement late Monday night. “I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon.”
An unofficial survey by the Associated Press showed Harris with more than 2,500 delegates, surpassing the 1,976 needed to win. While delegates could technically change their minds, no other candidate received any votes in the AP survey; 54 delegates said they were undecided.
Harris’s trip to Wisconsin offers her a chance to reset the Democratic campaign and argue that she is best positioned to defeat Trump. She is scheduled to deliver remarks at a political event in Milwaukee at 1:05 p.m. CDT (1805 GMT).
In her Monday remarks, Harris drew on her past as a prosecutor to criticize Trump, a convicted felon found liable for sexual assault in civil court, whose businesses have committed fraud. “So hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type,” she said.
Wisconsin, along with Michigan and Pennsylvania, is a must-win Rust Belt state where Biden had been trailing Trump. “There are independents and young people who did not like their choices, and Harris has a chance to win them,” said Paul Kendrick, executive director of Rust Belt Rising, a Democratic group.
Harris has also seen a surge in campaign contributions, raising $81 million since Biden stepped aside on Sunday, nearly matching the $95 million the Biden campaign had in the bank at the end of June. Hollywood donors, including Cardi B, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Shonda Rhimes, have rallied behind her.
Trump and his allies are attempting to tie Harris to Biden’s unpopular policies, such as immigration. “Kamala Harris’ dismal record is one of complete failure and utter incompetence. Her policies are Biden’s policies, and vice versa,” said Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung.
Harris’s ability to reverse declining polls in key states remains uncertain. Leading Democrats in Wisconsin believe Harris offers the party a chance to re-energize voters who were disinterested in Biden and Trump. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley highlighted Harris’s potential to reconnect with crucial Black voters.
Replacing Biden atop the ticket has also spurred speculation about Harris’s potential vice presidential pick. The shortlist includes Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.