Vice President Kamala Harris officially secured the Democratic nomination for president on Friday afternoon.
Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison made the announcement during a virtual call with supporters on Friday, after Harris secured enough delegate votes to become the party’s nominee.
“I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States,” said Harris, who joined the virtual event, as CNN reported. “I will officially accept your nomination next week, once the virtual voting period is closed.”
Voting began Thursday as roughly 4,700 delegates cast digital ballots. Harrison noted it took Harris one day to cross the required threshold. Voting will continue through Monday.
“Later this month, we will gather in Chicago, united as one party, where we’re going to have an opportunity to celebrate this historic moment together,” the vice president said on the call.
Harris is the first Black woman and first Asian American to be at the top of the Democratic Party ticket.
“The fact that we can say today — just one day after we opened voting — that the vice president has crossed the majority threshold and will officially be our nominee next week, folks, that is simply outstanding,” Harrison said.
These ballots only included Harris’ name since she was the only candidate to gather the required 300 signatures from delegates. The Democratic National Committee said Tuesday that at least 3,923 delegates petitioned to put Harris on the ballot.
Harris was expected to earn the nomination after President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection bid and endorsed her.
VP nominee Sen. JD Vance criticizes Harris for coasting through ‘major party nomination’
Thursday night, Biden and Harris welcomed the freed Americans jailed in Russia. Harris later gave unscripted remarks.
“This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy and strengthening alliances,” she said while standing next to Biden.
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and directed criticism at her remarks.
“It’s amazing that journalists can look themselves in the mirror while letting this person coast to a major party nomination for president,” Vance wrote. “Is anyone going to ask this person a question?”