WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris’ marketing campaign has raised $200 million since she emerged because the doubtless Democratic presidential nominee final week, an eyepopping haul in her race towards the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.
The marketing campaign, which introduced its newest fundraising complete on Sunday, mentioned the majority of the donations — 66% — comes from first-time contributors within the 2024 election cycle and had been made after President Joe Biden introduced his exit from the race and endorsed Harris.
Over 170,000 volunteers have additionally signed as much as assist the Harris marketing campaign with cellphone banking, canvassing and different get-out-the-vote efforts. Election Day is 100 days away.
“The momentum and energy for Vice President Harris is real — and so are the fundamentals of this race: this election will be very close and decided by a small number of voters in just a few states,” Michael Tyler, the marketing campaign’s communications director, wrote in a memo.
Her marketing campaign mentioned it held some 2,300 organizing occasions in battleground states this weekend as a number of high-profile Democrats into account to function Harris’ working mate stumped for her.
Harris campaigned in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday, drawing lots of to a fundraiser that had been organized when Biden was nonetheless on the prime of the Democratic ticket. The fundraiser had initially been anticipated to lift $400,000 however ended bringing in about $1.4 million, based on the marketing campaign.
Mandy Robbins, 45, of Decatur, Georgia, drove to a kind of organizing occasions Sunday within the northern suburbs of Atlanta to listen to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a possible Harris working mate.
She thought Biden did a “great job” within the White Home, however acknowledged she “would not have been nearly this excited” if he remained within the race.
“I finally feel hopeful now,” Robbins mentioned. She added, “We can win this with Harris”
Beshear spoke from expertise to supporters, telling them their work could possibly be the distinction in what’s anticipated to be an in depth race. Beshear gained his 2019 marketing campaign by a margin of about 5,000 votes of 1.41 million ballots forged. He was reelected in November by a comparatively snug margin.
“Every door knock mattered. Every phone call mattered. Every difficult conversation that people had with their uncle at Thanksgiving mattered,” Beshear mentioned of his 2019 race. “Everyone here today that signs up to volunteer … you might be the difference in winning this race for Vice President Harris.”
In the meantime, Trump, working mate Sen. JD Vance and their surrogates stepped up efforts to border Harris as a far-left politician out of contact with with the American mainstream.
Vance mentioned after a cease at a diner in Waite Park, Minnesota, on Sunday that Harris has “got a little bit of a bump from her introduction” however predicted it might quickly dissipate.
“Look, the people are going to learn her record,” Vance mentioned. “They’re going to learn that she’s a radical. They’re going to learn that she’s basically a San Francisco liberal who wants to take San Francisco policies to the entire country.”
Vance was echoing Trump, who in a marketing campaign look with Vance in St. Cloud, Minnesota on Saturday, referred to as Harris a “crazy liberal,” accused her of eager to “defund the police” and mentioned she was an “absolute radical” on abortion. Harris, a vocal proponent of abortion rights, has made clear that she’s going to make Republican-backed efforts to limit reproductive rights a key plank in her marketing campaign.
“There is no liberal horse that she has chosen not to ride,” mentioned Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. “
Trump backer Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., also tried to brand Harris as a full partner for “a lot of the worst decisions of the Biden administration,” together with the chaotic August 2021 pullout of U.S. troops led to the swift collapse of the Afghan authorities and navy.
Cotton additionally accused Harris of emboldening Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah by urgent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over civilian casualties within the battle in Gaza.
Netanyahu met individually with Harris and Biden on the White Home on Thursday. Afterward, Harris mentioned she urged Netanyahu to achieve a cease-fire deal quickly with the militant group Hamas in order that dozens of hostages held by the militants in Gaza since Oct. 7 can return dwelling. Harris mentioned she additionally affirmed Israel’s proper to defend itself however expressed deep concern in regards to the excessive dying toll in Gaza and the “dire” humanitarian state of affairs there.
Tensions within the Mideast intensified on Saturday after Israeli authorities mentioned a rocket from Lebanon struck a soccer area within the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, killing 12 kids and youngsters. The strike raised fears of a broader regional battle between Israel and Hezbollah, which denied a job within the assault.
Trump at his Saturday rally mentioned the Golan Heights incident “will go down as another moment in history created by a weak and ineffective United States president and vice president.” And Vance on Sunday accused Harris of being “a disaster” on the battle.
Nonetheless, some Republicans are involved that Harris’ entrance has given Democrats a spark and that Trump must recalibrate.
Gov. Chris Sununu, R-N.H., mentioned Harris is in “honeymoon” interval that can most likely final a month, however he additionally mentioned that each Trump and Vance ought to cease the non-public assaults towards Harris as a result of these won’t drive folks to vote. As a substitute, he mentioned they have to stick with the problems and “stay away from the insults.”
He mentioned Trump missed a possibility to do this in latest marketing campaign occasions, however “hopefully they can get back on track.” Sununu, nonetheless, acknowledged that ”no person can get Donald Trump to do something” he doesn’t wish to do.
“But hopefully the numbers, the polls, will get Donald Trump to realize what was working and what didn’t,” Sununu mentioned
Graham was on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Sununu was on ABC’s “This Week, and Cotton was on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Value reported from Waite Park, Minnesota, and Barrow from Cumming, Georgia. Related Press author Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.
