On July 21, President Joe Biden announced he was leaving the 2024 presidential raceand endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination.
Biden drops out of presidential race:What to know as America looks to election
Now, the Biden campaign has effectively morphed into the Harris campaign.
As previously reported byUSA TODAY, what was previously known as the Biden for President campaign filed a notice with the Federal Election Commission changing its name to Harris for President, making Harris' presidential bid official.
This transition enabled the Harris campaign to take over Biden's campaign account and the $240 million it reported having in the bank at the end of June.
The ability to seamlessly transition campaigns is one strategic advantage Harris held over other potential Democratic nominees.
Where does Kamala Harris stand on key issues?
Harris is on her own campaign trail and has made her stance clear on certain key issues like abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, economic opportunity, and foreign policy.
At a previous campaign event in Arizona, Harris stated that former President Donald Trump's presidency set the stage for the overturning of the landmark 1973 abortion case, Roe vs. Wade. AZ Central reported that Harris vehemently showed her support for pro-choice, stating that momentum is on the side of choice.
"When freedom was on the ballot, the American people voted for freedom," Harris said at her campaign in Phoenix on June 24. "This is not a partisan issue and doesn’t have to be a partisan issue. Momentum is on our side."
On June 13, Harris met with a few of the cast members and creators from the Bravo and Netflix show "Queer Eye," where Harris stated she wants to fight for progress for the LGBTQ+ community.
In the meeting, reported by USA TODAY, Harris said: "We can't take any of these things for granted, and let's also be fueled by the optimism to know that we can also get better than we are, and that it's not only about maintaining the progress that we've achieved, but let's keep going."
In a visit to Milwaukee on May 16, Harris stated that the Biden-Harris administration's economic policies helped Americans and, in particular, addressed disparities that affect Black Americans and business owners.
According to USA TODAY, Harris said the administration is taking steps including requiring home appraisers to be trained on racial bias and that she praised the administration's efforts toforgive student loan debtand remove a prohibition on accessing small-business loans for people who had been previously incarcerated.
Previously reported by USA TODAY, in December,Harris traveled to Dubaito discuss the future governance of Gaza anddeliver a speechto Middle Eastern political leaders, saying Israel, "must do more to protect civilian life."
Harris reaffirmed the Biden administration's stance that Israel had the right to defend itself from Hamas, but she also expressed concerns, coming close to accusing Israel ofcommitting war crimes, saying, "international humanitarian law must be respected."
How old is Kamala Harris and what is her ethnicity?
Harris, 59, already made history as the nation’sfirst womanto be elected vice president, much less the first Black and South Asian woman in the position. Harris is the daughter of immigrants, anIndian mother and Jamaican father, she was born in Oakland, California on Oct. 20, 1964.
USA TODAY reported that, on the campaign trail,Harris has worked toappeal to Black leadersand votersthrough conversations at barber shops and historically Black colleges and universities.She attended Howard University, a historically black institution, and was a member of theAlpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
Kamala Harris' career background
Harris is a former U.S. senator from California and served as the state’s attorney general. Before her time in national politics, USA TODAY reported that Harris had a lengthy careerserving in California District Attorney offices.
In 1990, she worked in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office specializing in prosecuting child sexual assault cases. She became the District Attorney of San Francisco in 2004 and took on the role of Attorney General of California six years later.
Who will be Kamala's VP?
Although Harris is not yet the official Democratic nominee, and any shortlist of her potential vice president picks are currently unclear, speculation has run rampant in recent days over who may be considered for the Harris presidential ticket. USA TODAY reported that in no particular order, there is a litany of possible candidates being floated by various pundits, journalists and political operatives.
Possible VP picks include Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
Who are Kamala's supporters in Colorado?
On July 22, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis made an appearance on CNN where he endorsed Harris.
“She’s smart, she’s on top of it, she has a forward-looking vision to save people money, she’s put prisoners and criminals behind bars, and she’s ready to lead the country,” Polis told CNN.
Sen. Michael Bennet took to X stating his endorsem*nt of Harris.
"Vice President Kamala Harris has the experience, record, and integrity to be the next President of the United States. She is exactly the candidate we need to beat Donald Trump, and I am honored to endorse her," Bennet posted.
Sen. John Hickenlooper also took to X to show his support.
"Vice President Harris is already uniting the Democratic Party, just as she will unite America. She has been President Biden’s copilot for these amazing four years and we can’t wait to do everything we can to help her win," he posted.
Some additional supporters in Colorado include Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Boulder, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Aurora, Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, and Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Boulder.
USA TODAY reporters Joey Garrison, Stephanie Murray, David Oliver, Alison Dirr, Kinsey Crowley, Brandi D. Addison, Clare Mulroy, and Kathryn Palmer contributed to this report.
