Kamala Harris formally chosen as Democratic Nominee

Kamala Harris has secured the Democratic presidential nomination, becoming the first Black and South Asian woman to represent a major party in the U.S. presidential race. She was unopposed in the virtual roll call after Joe Biden, the incumbent president, stepped down and endorsed her. Harris clinched the nomination by securing the support of 2,350 delegates, with 99% of the total 3,923 delegates planning to vote for her. The early virtual roll call was a strategic move to avoid potential ballot access issues in states like Ohio, which has strict deadlines for candidate selection.

Harris, 59, has a strong political background, having served as the San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general, and a U.S. senator. She is the first Democratic nominee from a western state in the party's history. Biden had won the Democratic primary with ease but faced pressure to withdraw due to his age and a poor debate performance. The decision to replace Biden with Harris was criticized by some Republicans as a "coup," but Harris has been actively campaigning against Trump, holding rallies and fundraisers in key states.

The Harris campaign has been successful in fundraising, raising over $310 million in July, more than double the amount raised by the Trump campaign in the same period. This indicates strong grassroots support, with over two-thirds of the donations coming from first-time donors. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for August, and Harris is expected to announce her vice-presidential running mate by Monday.