United States Vice President, Kamala Harris, has passed the threshold to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination in a vote of party delegates.
Speaking by telephone, the BBC quoted Harris to have said she was, “honoured to be the presumptive nominee” as the virtual roll call continues ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago later this month.
“It’s not going to be easy. But we’re going to get this done,” she added. “As your future president, I know we are up to this fight.”
Harris is the first black woman and first South Asian woman to become the White House standard-bearer for a major US political party.
If she defeats Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, in November she would be America’s first female president.
The announcement was made before the online voting process ends on Monday, by the Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison.
The development, according to the Associated Press, reflected the breakneck speed of a campaign that was eager to maintain momentum after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed Harris as his successor less than two weeks ago.
Harrison pledged that Democrats “will rally around Vice President Kamala Harris and demonstrate the strength of our party” during their convention in Chicago later this month.
The Democratic National Committee did not provide details of the delegate vote count, including a number or state-by-state breakdowns, during a virtual event that had the flavour of a telethon, with campaign officials keeping tabs on a delegate-counting process whose result is a foregone conclusion.
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