HOUSTON, Texas – Shortly after President Joe Biden announced his decision to step aside from the 2024 presidential race, thousands of Black women got on their Zooms (literally) to support and raise money for Vice President Kamala Harris.
In 24 hours after Biden’s announcement, Kamala raised more than $81 million, according to her spokesperson Kevin Munoz.
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The massive haul, which includes money raised across the campaign, the Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees, represents the largest 24-hour sum reported by either side in the 2024 campaign. Harris’ campaign said it was the largest single-day total in U.S. history.
“The historic outpouring of support for Vice President Harris represents exactly the kind of grassroots energy and enthusiasm that wins elections,” Munoz said.
The fundraising explosion puts Harris in a dominant position to secure the Democratic Party’s formal presidential nomination at next month’s national convention — if not sooner. The donor class’s embrace comes as she locks up endorsements from the vast majority of Democratic governors and members of Congress.
Sunday night, hours after Biden’s announcement, 44,000 Black women from all over the country participated in a Zoom meeting, organized by a group called #WinWithBlackWomen.
Many Democrats followed Biden’s lead in expressing their support for Harris. The Congressional Black Caucus said it “fully backs” the vice president.
And some Black voters, dismayed by what they saw as Biden’s dwindling chance of winning in November, said they would support whoever could best compete with Trump.
With Biden’s endorsement, Harris’ campaign appears to have inherited his sprawling national infrastructure and tens of millions of dollars that his team previously raised. At the end of June, the Biden-Harris campaign reported nearly $96 million cash in the bank, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission.
On Sunday, the Biden-Harris campaign filed new paperwork with the FEC establishing Harris as the principal candidate. There is some debate among campaign finance officials over whether Harris now has complete control of the funds, although few expect any serious legal challenges.
Meanwhile, Harris’ campaign sent out a new flurry of fundraising emails and text messages Monday.
“Now is our chance to make history,” Harris declared in one text message asking donors for $20.