Omar Bennett
Kamala Harris, the former vice president of the United States, launched her 2024 presidential campaign, selecting Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Harris framed her campaign around the ideals of freedom and the future, with a focus on reproductive healthcare, criminal justice, and civil rights issues. Her domestic platform included support for national abortion protections, LGBT+ rights, stricter gun control, and addressing climate change. Harris' campaign faced Republican opponents, former President Donald Trump, and US Senator JD Vance. Despite strong fundraising efforts and a successful presidential debate performance, Harris lost the general election to Trump. Now, Harris's supporters are divided over a potential 2028 presidential run, with some suggesting she should first run for governor.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Kamala Harris |
| Election Year | 2024 |
| Position | 49th Vice President of the United States |
| Party | Democratic Party |
| Running Mate | Minnesota Governor Tim Walz |
| Campaign Song | Beyoncé's "Freedom" |
| Campaign Funding | $36 million raised in 24 hours after announcing Walz as her running mate |
| Campaign Staff | Many members of Joe Biden's campaign staff before he withdrew from the race |
| Campaign Messaging | Based on the ideals of "freedom" and "the future" |
| Campaign Focus | Reproductive healthcare, criminal justice, and civil rights issues |
| Campaign Opponents | Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and U.S. Senator JD Vance of Ohio |
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What You'll Learn
Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential campaign
On July 21, 2024, Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, announced her presidential campaign for the 2024 election. On the same day, incumbent President Joe Biden withdrew his bid for reelection and endorsed her. Harris became the nominee of the Democratic Party on August 5, following a virtual roll call vote. She selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate the following day.
Harris's campaign framed its message around the ideals of "freedom" and "the future" and sought to highlight her experience as an attorney general and a prosecutor. Her domestic platform was similar to Biden's on some issues, such as national abortion protections, LGBT+ rights, stricter gun control, and legislation to address climate change. She also supported federal cannabis legalization, strengthening voting rights, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, and federal funding of housing. Harris departed from Biden on economic issues, proposing a "populist" economic agenda.
Harris's campaign used social media platforms like X and Instagram, with an X account called @KamalaHQ that had 1.3 million followers as of September 2024. They also utilised music in their campaign, initially with Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" as Walz's walk-on music at rallies, later switching to John Mellencamp's "Small Town". Harris obtained permission to use Beyoncé's "Freedom" as the official song for her campaign, and the song was also featured in a digital ad that debuted on July 25.
Harris faced off against the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and US Senator JD Vance of Ohio. Trump's campaign commissioned an ad attacking Harris's views on transgender rights, and he also used Beyoncé's "Freedom" at a rally without permission, leading to a cease-and-desist from her record label. Harris supported increasing the number of Border Patrol agents and believed the immigration system needed to be fixed. She also supported continued military aid to Ukraine and Israel but pushed for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Harris's campaign gained endorsements from various celebrities and public figures, including Puerto Rican musicians Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Luis Fonsi, Ricky Martin, and Don Omar. LeBron James also endorsed her, as did Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. However, some Arab Americans opposed the campaign due to her stance on the Israel-Hamas war and the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Harris lost the general election to Trump, conceding the race the day after.
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Tim Walz as her running mate
Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, announced her 2024 presidential campaign on July 21, 2024. On that day, incumbent President Joe Biden withdrew his bid for reelection and endorsed her. Harris became the nominee of the Democratic Party on August 5, and the following day, she selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
Walz, a former public school teacher, football coach, and National Guardsman, brings a folksy, plain-spoken, and sharp-tongued approach to the campaign. His political experience, representing a Republican-leaning district in Congress and then later passing left-wing policies as Minnesota's governor, could have broad appeal in a time of political polarization. Walz's advocacy for in vitro fertilization and child tax credits—policies he has successfully implemented in Minnesota—align with Harris's focus on reproductive healthcare.
In the 24 hours after announcing Walz as her running mate, the Harris campaign raised $36 million. Walz headlined a string of private fundraisers in Orange County, California; Providence, Rhode Island; Boston; Denver; and Southampton, New York.
During the campaign, Walz made headlines for his acerbic descriptions of Republicans, labelling them as "weird". He also drew scrutiny over his military record after Republicans revived old allegations from other veterans. Despite this, Walz's son, Gus, proudly proclaimed, "That's my dad" at the DNC, where Walz called his family his "entire world".
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Fundraising and donors
Kamala Harris' campaign and affiliated groups have raised over $1 billion since she entered the race. In the first 24 hours of her campaign, she reported \$81 million in donations, which she described as the "largest 24-hour raise in presidential history". Harris' campaign also added 43,000 new recurring donors, with over half signing up for weekly donations.
Harris' campaign committee raised $997.2 million between January 2023 and 16 October 2024, with \$118 million in cash on hand, while her opponent, Trump's committee raised $388 million in the same period, ending with $36.2 million in cash on hand. Harris' campaign also raised \$36 million in the 24 hours after her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was announced.
Harris' campaign has been described as a "prodigious fundraising operation" and has been supported by the Democrats' digital fundraising website ActBlue, which raised more than $100 million since Biden withdrew from the campaign and backed Harris. Harris' campaign has also been endorsed by a super political action committee, Future Forward, which has pledged $150 million to the Harris election effort.
Despite the scale of the operation, Harris' campaign has continued to send appeals to donors after her defeat in the 2024 election, including individual calls to larger donors. The Harris Fight Fund, a post-election label for the Harris Victory Fund, is a joint fundraising operation between Harris' campaign, the DNC, and state Democratic parties. Harris' campaign has also been contacting donors to contribute to the "Recount Account".
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Campaign messaging
Kamala Harris, the former vice president of the United States, launched her 2024 presidential campaign on July 21, 2024. Her campaign messaging was centred around the concepts of "freedom" and "the future", with Harris presenting herself as a moderate Democrat. She supported national abortion protections, LGBT+ rights, stricter gun control, and legislation to address climate change. Harris's economic agenda was described as "populist", and she also supported federal cannabis legalisation, strengthening voting rights, and bolstering the Affordable Care Act.
Harris's campaign sought to highlight her experience as an attorney general and a prosecutor, and she framed the election as "a choice between freedom and chaos". She accused Trump of fascism and frequently branded Republicans, Trump, and vice presidential nominee JD Vance as "weird". Harris's running mate was Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who shared her advocacy for reproductive healthcare and civil rights issues. In the week of August 12, Walz headlined several private fundraisers across the country, and Harris's husband, Doug Emhoff, spoke at fundraisers in New York. The campaign used Beyoncé's "Freedom" as its official song, and in the 24 hours after announcing Walz as her running mate, they raised $36 million.
Harris's 2024 campaign was bolstered by her strong performance in the presidential debate against Trump, with many analysts declaring her the winner. However, she ultimately lost the election to Trump, conceding the race the day after. Now, in 2025, Harris is considering another run for president in 2028, but her supporters are divided on this decision. Some believe she should first run for governor in 2026, which would make her the first Asian American and Black woman to be a state governor. Harris has stated that she will decide by the end of the summer, but her potential rivals are pressuring her to make up her mind sooner.
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Harris' 2028 presidential run
Harris 2028 Presidential Run
Kamala Harris, the former vice president of the United States, is considering a second run for the presidency in 2028. Harris, who lost the 2024 election to Donald Trump, has not ruled out a repeat bid and is said to be eyeing the California governorship as a potential stepping stone. Harris's 2024 campaign was historic, as she was the first Black woman and first Asian American woman to run on a major party ticket.
The 2024 Campaign
Harris's 2024 presidential campaign began on July 21, 2024, when then-incumbent President Joe Biden withdrew his bid for reelection and endorsed her. She became the Democratic Party nominee on August 5 and selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate the next day. Harris's platform included support for national abortion protections, LGBT+ rights, stricter gun control, and addressing climate change. She also took more populist" economic stances than Biden and supported federal cannabis legalization and strengthening voting rights.
Harris framed her campaign around the ideals of "freedom" and "the future," and her experience as an attorney general and prosecutor. She ran as a moderate Democrat, and her campaign initially had an optimistic and joyful tone. However, in the last month of the election, the tone shifted, and Harris accused Trump of fascism and branded him and the Republicans as "weird."
2028 Prospects
Despite her loss in 2024, Harris is reportedly considering another run for the presidency in 2028. A Morning Consult poll from March 2025 showed her as the Democratic Party's frontrunner, with 36% support among Democratic and Democratic-leaning independent voters. This is despite some supporters being lukewarm on the idea of a 2028 run and concerns about fundraising for any Democrat in the next election. Some supporters see a successful gubernatorial run in 2026 as a necessary step for a 2028 presidential campaign, but this would leave a short window before a potential presidential launch.
Harris has name recognition, donors, and experience on her side, and her approval ratings were higher than other nominees who have lost. However, some donors expressed frustration with her campaign apparatus and staff following her 2024 loss. If Harris were to win a gubernatorial race, she would make history as the first Black and Asian American woman governor.
Competition
Other potential Democratic candidates for the 2028 presidential election include Tim Walz, Harris's 2024 running mate; California Governor Gavin Newsom; former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
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Frequently asked questions
Kamala Harris ran for president in 2024, with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Harris' campaign staff included many former members of Joe Biden's 2024 campaign staff.
Harris' domestic platform included national abortion protections, LGBT+ rights, stricter gun control, and legislation to address climate change. She also supported federal cannabis legalization, strengthening voting rights, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, and federal funding of housing.
Harris lost the 2024 election to Donald Trump. She lost the "blue wall" states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, which were considered key to her defeat.
