Vice President Harris is looking to maintain the momentum of the past two weeks by searching for a running mate who can further boost her campaign.
Harris enters August with $377 million in funding, strong support from labor unions and Democratic Party leaders, a rise in the polls and plans to visit every battleground state next week with her running mate.
The vice president secured enough votes on Friday to become the Democratic presidential nominee and is expected to formally accept the nomination early next week ahead of the party’s August convention.
Her supporters argue that the timing of the new endorsement and robust travel schedule will energize her campaign.
“Maintaining momentum is like the cheese in the enchilada; it touches everything. The energy comes naturally, and keeping everyone busy is key,” said Ivan Zapien, a former Democratic National Committee official.
“Am I worried?” Zapien added. “I don’t have time to worry. I have phone calls to make, knocks on the door to deal with.”
Democrats have made similar statements, meaning the condensed campaign schedule means the race will go full steam ahead into November.
She is expected to announce her running mate in the coming days, and the pair will tour battleground states, starting in Philadelphia before moving on to Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia and Nevada, all key battleground states in the race.
“Kamala Harris is showing America why everyone who met her when she first ran for Senate believed she had raw, incredible political talent. Her choice of running mate will provide a clear contrast for all to see between the young, vibrant talent of the Democratic nominee and the asymmetrical Republican field,” said Al Motter, a Democratic strategist and fundraiser at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.
Motter added that he sees the energy and funding as sustainable.
“I’m confident that her momentum and enthusiasm will continue, both politically and in terms of raising funds for her legal case against Donald Trump,” he said.
After her tour of battleground states, Harris is likely to garner endorsements from fellow party members at the Democratic National Convention in late August. President Biden is scheduled to deliver the convention’s opening address in Chicago on August 19.
Political watchers are also watching to see how Harris will be influenced by her beefed-up campaign staff, made up of former members of former President Barack Obama’s successful campaigns. Senior Obama campaign staffers, including his 2008 and 2012 campaign strategist David Plouffe and his 2012 deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter, joined the Harris campaign on Friday.
Despite her momentum, Harris is lagging behind former President Trump in national polls but outperforming Biden in approval ratings.
The Cook Political Report’s average of national polls had Trump leading Harris by 1.3 percentage points (47.5 percent to 46.2 percent), but her approval rating halved Trump’s lead in 2024. The previous average of polls, from July 21, had Trump leading Biden by 2.7 percentage points (47.4 percent to 44.7 percent).
The vice president has overtaken Trump’s leads in seven key battleground states, where a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll this week showed her with 48% approval in those states to Trump’s 47%.
The Harris campaign also announced it had raised $310 million in July, including money raised before Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris, and $200 million raised in the week after Harris announced her candidacy.
The campaign has stressed that the money is coming from first-time donors and younger voters, key demographics that Harris will want to reach in November: Two-thirds of its fundraising in July came from first-time donors, 94% of contributions were under $200, and there were more than 10 times as many Gen Z donors in July compared to June.
The Trump campaign announced Thursday that it raised about $139 million in July.
Trump is also struggling with fallout this week from saying Harris “got black” during an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists conference, and on Friday he questioned why “there should be a debate” amid growing speculation that the two will take place in September after a chaotic election result.
Harris’ campaign responded by saying Trump is “afraid” of the debate and that she will attend the ABC News debate on Sept. 10, as agreed between Trump and Biden, whether or not Harris attends.
Harris’ supporters point to her background as a prosecutor and her being a strong debater, and are confident that a debate with Trump in September will help her momentum continue beyond Labor Day.
“Donald Trump needs to man up. He has no problem spreading lies and hateful drivel at rallies and in interviews with right-wing commentators,” said former Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-Louisiana), a co-chairman of Harris’ presidential campaign. “But he’s apparently too scared to do it on stage across from the vice president of the United States.”
