Kamala Harris Faces Tight Deadline for Presidential Campaign Launch

Vice President Kamala Harris faces the daunting task of launching a presidential campaign almost from scratch. Typically, this process takes months or even years, but Harris has only about two months before early voting begins. Despite receiving President Joe Biden's endorsement and significant parts of his campaign, nothing is guaranteed. She must quickly raise funds, devise a strategy, hire staff, win delegates, set up a website, create advertisements, and plan a convention.

Harris benefits from already being on the Democratic ticket as the vice-presidential nominee and having run for the presidency in 2020. With Biden's endorsement, she is rapidly accumulating delegates. "It's less of a lift to do it with Harris, who has been on the national stage," says Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher.

Financial Support and Campaign Infrastructure

Even though her campaign resembles a start-up, Harris has an advantage thanks to inheriting Biden's campaign infrastructure. There are existing campaign offices in Wilmington, Delaware, and the official campaign committee has been renamed for her. She can retain much of Biden's campaign staff while adding her own people. "Campaigns are basically startup companies with hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of staff, all trying to do a lot in a short period," says Joe Caiazzo, Bernie Sanders' 2020 state director in New Hampshire.

The financial aspect is crucial. As of early July, the campaign committee had nearly $96 million in cash-on-hand. This allows Harris to launch without waiting for checks to come in. Her ascendance has generated newfound enthusiasm after Biden's June 27 debate performance shook Democratic supporters' confidence. Within 15 hours of receiving Biden's endorsement, Harris raised $49.6 million.

Securing Delegates

To win the Democratic nomination, 1,976 delegates are needed. So far, Harris has more than 1,000 delegates. Biden's quick exit allows his delegates to back whomever they choose. Endorsements from lawmakers and major Democratic allies are crucial here. Harris has already received backing from the American Federation of Teachers and several leading Democrats like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The AFL-CIO will convene to decide its next steps on endorsements after previously backing Biden and Harris as a joint ticket. These endorsements are also key if Harris seeks a vice-presidential pick who can compete with Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump's Republican running mate.

Choosing a Running Mate

In 2020, Biden announced Harris as his running mate on August 11. To meet that same date this year, Harris would have less than three weeks to make her choice. She had agreed to debate Vance on August 13, although terms were never settled. However, she could delay her vice-presidential pick until the Democratic National Convention in Chicago starting August 19.

Unlike in 2020, Harris won't be able to engage in extensive vetting processes like Biden's team did with interviews and research. It's unclear where she stands in this process now, but vice-presidential candidates usually help balance the ticket and rally major voting blocs.

Building an Online Presence

According to FEC filings, her official campaign website is kamalaharris.com. However, it's not the first link that appears when someone searches her name online. The address is listed in her personal account profile on X (formerly Twitter) and redirects users from Biden's former campaign site.

Currently, Harris' site is a placeholder featuring her smiling profile picture, Biden's endorsement text, and a donation form for her campaign. She needs to develop a more comprehensive site similar to Trump's campaign site which includes his policy platform, videos, news updates, event listings, ways to get involved, and merchandise.

Advertising and Campaign Rallies

The Biden campaign had been producing ads positioning him as the best candidate against Trump. These ads covered topics like access to abortions and Trump's policies and criminal conviction in New York. Now that Biden is out of the race, Harris needs to craft her own identity while defending Biden's record in office.

Harris will also need to hit the campaign trail more aggressively as the top candidate on the ticket. Biden made multiple trips this year to key states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin before his debate performance on June 27 shifted focus onto Harris for re-election efforts.

Harris enters the race as Republican Donald Trump holds some financial momentum with his campaign reporting USD 128.1 million in cash on hand.

The checklist for Kamala Harris is extensive but manageable given her experience and resources at hand. With strategic planning and support from key endorsements and financial backing, she aims to build a strong presidential campaign swiftly.