Reuters:
WASHINGTON, July 7 – She worries Republican donors, has name recognition, and Democratic Party heavyweights are beginning to line up behind her.
Vice President Kamala Harris would be President Joe Biden’s natural successor if he bowed to growing pressure and stepped aside as the Democratic candidate in the 2024 election, top Democrats say.
Now party donors, activists and officials are asking: Does she have a better chance than Biden of beating Donald Trump? Biden has said repeatedly he is staying in the race.
Harris, 59, a former U.S. senator and California attorney general, would be the first woman to be president of the United States if she becomes the party’s nominee and prevails in the Nov. 5 election. She is the first African American and Asian person to serve as vice president.
Her 3-1/2 year White House tenure has been characterized by a lackluster start, staff turnover, and early policy portfolios including migration from Central America that did not produce major successes.
As recently as last year, many inside the White House and the Biden campaign team privately worried Harris was a liability for the campaign. The situation has changed significantly since then, Democratic officials have said, as she stepped forward on abortion rights and courted young voters.
She “is proud to be his running mate and looks forward to serving at his side for four more years,” the Biden Harris campaign told Reuters.
