Kamala Harris raises $81 million in first 24 hours of presidential campaign

If Democratic Party donors were holding onto their wallets out of concern for President Joe Biden’s chances of defeating Donald Trump in November’s presidential election, they don’t appear nearly as worried about Vice President Kamala Harris.

Just one day after Biden announced that he was bowing out of the race and tossing the keys to his campaign over to Harris, the vice president’s operation pulled in a whopping $81 million in new donations to augment the $264 million war chest raised over the last quarter.

According to the newly rebranded Harris for President campaign, that eye-popping sum “reflects money raised across the campaign, Democratic National Committee, and joint fundraising committees,” and includes 888,000 grassroot donors, a full 60 percent of whom gave for the first time this cycle.

The campaign also announced a new crop of 43,000 recurring donors who signed up after Biden passed the torch to Harris, as well as $1.6 million raised by a Zoom call hosted by the group Win with Black Women.

While the record fundraising claims made by the Harris campaign won’t be verifiable until next month when campaigns report their fundraising totals to the Federal Election Commission, the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue has credited Harris with driving multiple broken fundraising records, including over the first few days since she became the de facto Democratic nominee following Biden’s exit.

Kevin Munoz, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, said the “historic outpouring” of support for Harris “represents exactly the kind of  grassroots energy and enthusiasm that wins elections.”

“Already, we are seeing a broad and diverse coalition come together to support our critical work of talking to the voters that will decide this election,” he said.

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“There is a groundswell behind Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump is terrified because he knows his divisive, unpopular agenda can’t stand up to the Vice President’s record and vision for the American people.”

The largest Democratic super PAC Future Forward also announced on Monday it had secured $150m in donations in the last day from big donors who were “previously stalled, uncertain or uncommitted” in their contributions – together bringing the day’s total to $231m.

The massive money haul for the first Black and South Asian woman to ever lead a major party ticket — the largest single-day fundraising total for any presidential candidate in recorded history — comes as the Democratic Party largely consolidated support behind the vice president while hailing Biden’s exit as a heroic gesture reminiscent of George Washington’s decision not to seek a third term at the dawn of the American republic.

Harris has locked up endorsements from a significant numbers of key Democratic interest groups, and a majority of party delegates are expected to support her when Democrats hold a virtual roll call ahead of next month’s quadrennial nominating convention.

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Earlier in the day, a group of 236 members of Florida’s Democratic delegation announced their support for Harris, citing their belief that she “embodies the values and principles of the Democratic Party and is the most qualified Democrat to continue delivering for the American people.”

“Her vision for America is one where everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, has the opportunity to thrive. Her leadership is what our country needs to continue the progress made and to confront the pressing challenges of our time,” the delegates added.

Harris also picked up support from the American Federation of Teachers, a union of 1.8 million educators and the first major labor union to announce support for her candidacy.

At an event to roll out the endorsement, AFT president Randi Weingarten said Harris “has fought alongside Joe Biden to deliver historic accomplishments and create a better life for all Americans” and has compiled “a record of fighting for us —fighting to lower the costs we pay, for reproductive rights, for worker empowerment and to keep communities safe from gun violence.”