US VP Harris has won enough delegate votes to secure Democratic nomination

WASHINGTON -- US Vice-President Kamala Harris has won enough delegate votes to secure the Democratic presidential nomination, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Jaime Harrison announced on Friday, noting that the results are not yet official.

The virtual voting process closes for delegates on Monday, and the DNC is expected to make official announcement of the results Monday evening. The Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled for Aug. 19-22, will formally nominate the party's presidential candidate.

The virtual voting process for approximately 4,700 delegates started on Thursday morning. One and a half days into the voting, Harris's campaign reported that she has obtained more than the 2,350 votes required to secure the nomination.

Harris, 59, would be the first Black woman and the first Indian American in US history to receive a major party's presidential nomination.

Earlier, US media reports said that Harris is expected to reveal her running mate by Monday, and will hold their first rally together in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Top vice presidential picks include Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

On July 21, US President Joe Biden announced that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, under mounting pressure from within the Democratic Party due to concerns about his fitness for office. Biden immediately offered his full support for nominating Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate.

Harris quickly consolidated support within the Democratic Party, and announced the next day that she had secured enough support from Democratic delegates to become the party's nominee.

The latest data shows that Harris is narrowing gap with former President Donald Trump in the presidential race. According to polling data compiled by the US election information website Real Clear Politics, as of July 31, Trump led Harris by an average of 1.2 percentage points in national polls, compared with an advantage of 1.7 percentage points before Biden dropped out.

In key swing states Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Trump led Harris by an average of 0.2 percentage points and 2.7 percentage points separately, while in Michigan, Harris flipped the situation and took the lead by an average of 2.0 percentage points.