In September 2024, the campaign was bolstered by a strong performance by Harris in thepresidential debate against Trump.[20] Harris was declared the winner of the debate by many political analysts.[21][22][23] Post-debate polls indicated a close presidential contest.[24]
Following the debate, however, a combination of both ineffectual campaigning (including alongside controversial people to her base[b]) and a series of gaffes regarding the Biden administration's performance led to a slippage in the polls.[citation needed] On election day, Harris lost thegeneral election and the national popular vote to Republican former president Donald Trump on November 6, 2024; she conceded the following day.[25] Harris lost all of the majorbattleground states, including theblue wall states ofMichigan,Pennsylvania, andWisconsin, which were considered key to her defeat. These states all had swings from voters who had previously voted for Biden in 2020 yet went for Trump in 2024. Had Harris been elected, she would have been the first female president and the fourth fromCalifornia, afterHerbert Hoover,Richard Nixon, andRonald Reagan. She would also have been the first sitting vice president to assume the presidency sinceGeorge H. W. Bush. Walz would become the third vice president fromMinnesota, afterHubert Humphrey andWalter Mondale.
On January 21, 2019, Harris announced that she wouldrun for president in the 2020 election. At the time, Harris was a U.S. senator from California.[26] In debates, Harris was criticized by opponents overher record as Attorney General of California, including her past positions on marijuana,cash bail, and parole reform and her alleged negligence in investigating police misconduct.[27][28] Harris's campaign experienced stagnant polling and fundraising struggles in November 2019. She officially withdrew from theDemocratic primaries in December 2019.[29] On March 8, 2020, she endorsedJoe Biden for president.[30] On August 11, 2020, Harriswas chosen by Biden to be his running mate.[31] After Biden and Harris won thegeneral election, she became the first female vice president of the United States in 2021.[32]
Biden initially soughtre-election in 2024 with Harris was expected to remain as his running mate. After theJune 27, 2024 presidential debate against then-presumptive Republican nomineeDonald Trump, concerns grew about then-presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Biden'sage and fitness to serve a second term.[33] Biden initially pushed back "aggressively" at the idea that he should drop out.[34] On June28,New York magazine wrote that while most Democrats did not want Harris to replace Biden, she would be the most likely choice if he were to end his campaign. At the time, Harris had higher approval ratings than other potential Democratic contenders for the 2028 presidential election.[35]
By July3, senior Democrats were discussing Harris as a potential replacement on the presidential ballot if Biden withdrew his candidacy. Democrats' reactions to the possibility ranged from "acceptance to trepidation to resignation".[36] Harris defended Biden, saying that the debate "wasn't his finest hour" but adding that "the outcome of this election cannot be determined by one day in June".[37] Nonetheless, Harris's allies began to strategize about her pathway to the 2024 Democratic nomination in the event that Biden opted to exit the race.[38]
A Biden–Harris yard sign with Biden's name removed in Oakland, California, the day after Biden ended his 2024 presidential campaign
On July18,The Hill reported that in the next few days, Biden would make a speech about the future of his political career, and that congressional Democrats expected Harris to be the new nominee.[39] By July19, Democrats were "quietly mapping" a Harris presidential campaign.[40] Followingpressure from Democrats, Biden ultimatelywithdrew from the race on July21, 2024, and immediately endorsed Harris to replace him in his place as the party's presidential nominee.[41]
Campaign
Announcement
A "Harris for President" sign on a lectern
On July21, 2024, Harris quickly announced her own presidential campaign later that day,[42] and the "Biden for President" campaign committee filed paperwork with theFederal Election Commission to change its name to "Harris for President".[43]
Democratic nominee
On July22, Harris secured enough non-binding endorsements of the uncommitteddelegates that had previously been pledged to Biden to become thepresumptive Democratic presidential nominee,[44] and officially became the party's presidential nominee after aformal roll call vote, held from August1[45] to August5.[13]
ABC News reported on July23 that Arizona SenatorMark Kelly and Governor Josh Shapiro were the leading candidates to be selected as Harris's running mate.[50] TheFinancial Times reported the same day that donors preferred North Carolina GovernorRoy Cooper or Shapiro, while "Hollywood Democrats" backed Kelly.[51]Talking Points Memo reported the following day that Cooper was an additional top choice.[52] Minnesota GovernorTim Walz was also a serious candidate,[53] as were Kentucky GovernorAndy Beshear[54] and Transportation SecretaryPete Buttigieg.[55]
The New York Times reported on July 29 that Cooper had voluntarily withdrawn his name from consideration.[56]The Hill reported the next day that several progressive leaders and political groups urged Harris to pick Beshear or Walz instead of Shapiro to consolidate key voting groups and the Democratic base.[57]
Later, in her book107 Days, it was revealed that Harris originally planned on tappingPete Buttigieg for her vice presidential pick, but felt it was too risky, as having him as her vice president would mean a black woman and a gay man would be running on the same ballot.[63] In the same book, it says that Harris used advice from her godson, Alexander Hudlin, who favored Walz.
Shapiro wrote in his 2026 book "Where We Keep the Light" thatDana Remus of the Harris vetting team had asked if he had been an "agent of the Israeli government" or communicated with an undercover Israeli agent. He felt the questions were offensive and was concerned about who was around the then-vice president.[64][65]
Fundraising
The day Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race was announced, Democratic fundraising platformActBlue reported raising more than $50million, its largest donation day sinceRuth Bader Ginsburg's death in 2020.[66] In the first 24 hours of Harris's candidacy, the presidential campaign raised $81million in small-dollar donations, the highest single-day total of any presidential candidate in history.[67] By August1, ten days after the launch of the campaign, the Harris campaign raised $310million in small-dollar donations through ActBlue.[68] Owing to strong fundraising numbers, in September, the Harris campaign directed its joint accounts to donate $25 million to down-ballot races for the House, Senate, governor, and state legislatures. By October, less than three months after entering the race, Harris' campaign and affiliated committees had raised over $1 billion, not including money donated to allied super PACs.
The total raised by the Campaign notably beat Trump's $853 million raised in concert with the RNC in all of 2024.The New York Times described Harris' fundraising haul as unique, stating that "no presidential candidate is believed to have ever raised so much so fast after entering a race". It also noted that the campaign had stopped trumpeting its totals to prevent contributors from becoming complacent, and remained concerned about "billionaire-funded Republican super PACs" impacting the race.[69]
A number of grassroots fundraising groups were established and held virtual organizing calls, includingWhite Dudes for Harris, South Asian Women for Harris, Latinas for Harris, Native Women + Two Spirit for Harris, Women for Harris, Caribbean-Americans for Harris, Filipino Americans for Harris, Disabled Voters for Harris, Win With Black Women, Win With Black Men, and White Women: Answer the Call (which was the largestZoom call in history).[70][71] In the 24 hours after announcing Walz as Harris's running mate, the campaign raised $36million.[72] Harris and Walz held a private fundraiser at theFairmont in San Francisco on August11;[73] the 700 attendees raised $12million and includedJohn Doerr,Reid Hoffman, andTom Steyer.[74] During the week of August12, Walz headlined a string of private fundraisers inOrange County, California;Providence, Rhode Island;Boston;Denver; andSouthampton, New York.[75]Doug Emhoff, Harris' husband, spoke at private fundraisers in the New York City area on August26 and 27, inWater Mill,North Haven (at the home ofRichard C. Perry) and Manhattan.[76]
Super PAC and other outside funding
Super PACs supportive of Harris spent hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, outpacing the Trump's campaign support from conservative super PACs.[77] These super PACs, in turn, raised portions of the money through donations from non-profits not required to disclose donors. This is sometimes referred to as "dark money". By late October 2024, it was estimated that Harris-aligned super PACs raised $195.8 million in comparison to the $23.2 million raised by Trump-aligned super PACs.[77] Around the same time, the New York Post estimated the Harris campaign benefitted from $474 million in total outside spending, compared to the Trump campaign's $376 milllion in comporable spending.[78]
The official super PAC of the Campaign,Future Forward, raised $950 million by the end of the election, setting a record for money raised by an organization not affiliated with a candidate.[79] $613 million of that sum came from Future Forward USA Action, the non-profit, dark money arm of Future Forward.[80] 10 donations comprised $515 million of that $613 million figure[80] Future Forward spent $450 million on ads, with half going to digital ads on platforms like YouTube.[79] It also spent $30 million on spanish-language ads.[81] It was reported the Campaign grew concerned with one group amassing so much capital and decision making power with regards to advertisments, and urged donors to back other groups for get-out-the-vote efforts.[82] Later,Billy Wimsatt, Founder of Movement Voter Project, warned donors that the Campaign and Future Forward were spending too much on paid media, rather than GOTV operations and a ground game in key states.[82]
Music
Harris usedBeyoncé's song "Freedom" featuring rapperKendrick Lamar as the official song for her campaign, having obtained permission fromParkwood Entertainment on the day of her first rally.[83][84] On August 20, 2024, Republican Party presidential primaries spokespersonSteven Cheung posted onTwitter a 13-second video of Trump's arrival inDetroit, Michigan, for a rally using "Freedom".[85][86] The following day Beyoncé's record label and music publisher sent acease-and-desist to Trump for using the song without permission.[87] After Walz was introduced as her running mate, the campaign initially usedBruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" as his walk-on music at rallies,[88] but later began usingJohn Mellencamp's "Small Town" instead by August 13.[89] In August 2024, after Trump used theFoo Fighters song "My Hero" at a rally without permission and against the band's wishes, the Foo Fighters released a statement saying that any increased royalties from the song's usage would be donated directly to the Harris 2024 presidential campaign.[90]
Advertising
AVoice of America video about the campaign's attempts to attract Latino voters
A digital ad featuring Beyoncé's song "Freedom" debuted on July25.[91] On August8, the Harris campaign released an ad in both English and Spanish, titled "Determination", directed towards Latino voters in battleground states.[92] The next day, another ad called "Tougher" focused on the southern border was released, calling Harris a "border-state prosecutor".[93]
The Harris campaign had a presence onX andInstagram known as @KamalaHQ,[94] which had 1.3 million followers on X as of September 2024.[95] In the early days of her campaign, the account reposted memes and changed its banner to imitate the cover art for the albumBrat to market Harris to younger voters as a "cool girl".[96] The account also spread deceptively edited videos of Donald Trump and JD Vance on several occasions, spawning an X account dedicated solely tofact-checking it that had 268,000 followers as of September 2024.[95]
"Kamala is for they/them" was apolitical advertisement that Trump's2024 presidential campaign commissioned to attack Harris's views ontransgender rights. Trump spent more money on this ad than any other in the campaign, with its premise that Harris supported tax-fundedgender-affirming surgery for transgender people in prison, using clips of her talking about the policy in an interview.[97] The ad's kicker, which mockedpreferred gender pronouns, was "Kamala is for they/them, Trump is for you."[98]
Freedom Town, USA
A screenshot of Freedom Town, USA
Freedom Town, USA was a custom multiplayermap in the video gameFortnite Creative created to promote the campaign, albeit not endorsed by Epic Games themselves.[99][100] The map was themed around pledges made by Harris as part of her campaign, including tax breaks for small businesses and affordable housing.[101][102][103] Released on October 28, 2024, the map was created as part of an initiative by the Harris campaign to appeal to young, male voters.[104][101][105] The map was promoted by gaming influencers such as Huskerrs, Modelmorg,[106] Himalyahs, and Kdot.[101] The official trailer for the map featured the song "Neva Play" byMegan Thee Stallion.[107]
Freedom Town, USA was inspired byNew York City and featured multipleminigames. In one game, players were tasked with collecting materials to build houses.[102] Another game featured explodingfootballs, a reference toTim Walz's career as a high school football coach.[106] In-game political signage, models, and audio cues were also features of the map. In one instance, an audio clip of Donald Trump saying "they're eating the dogs, eating the cats" played when the player collected a cat.[101][107][108]
The map was met with very weak engagement,[109] with a peak player count of 383 concurrent players.[110][111] In addition, guns were unavailable to players of the map, a subject of controversy among users.[112]
Lorraine Voles, Harris's chief of staff, was a deputy press secretary forBill Clinton and is a friend ofRon Klain; after joining the office of the vice president in 2021, Voles helped facilitate communication between Harris's office and the West Wing, and she was seen as a likely choice to oversee a potential presidential transition.Philip H. Gordon was national security adviser,Sheila Nix was campaign chief of staff,Quentin Fulks was deputy campaign manager, and former Obama speechwriter Adam Frankel led preparations for Harris's DNC speech. The campaign's communications strategy was overseen byBrian Fallon, Ian Sams, and Kirsten Allen, who was focused on Harris's public image.[114]Gene Sperling was a senior economic adviser;[115]Stephanie Cutter worked on DNC programming;Brian E. Nelson was the campaign's senior adviser for policy; and Sean Clegg,Karen Dunn, and Rohini Kosoglu helped with debate preparation.[113] (Philippe Reines portrayed Trump.)[116][117]
Additionally, Harris relied on family — including her husband Doug Emhoff, sisterMaya Harris, and brother-in-lawTony West — as well as close friends, such as Chrisette Hudlin, who set Harris up with Emhoff on a blind date, andMinyon Moore, who originally recommended Harris as VP to Biden.[113]
On September 19, 2024, the transition team signed an agreement with theGeneral Services Administration to accept the pre-election support offered to major party nominees, including office space and technological support.[124] In contrast, by election day, Trump's team had still not yet signed the agreement.[125]
Similarly to Trump, Harris did not discuss who might serve in her potential administration prior to the election, even in private with aides. She was instead reported to have been focused solely on winning and believed that the planning was better suited after victory. This was chalked up tosuperstition by a Harris aide.[126] APolitico article in October reported that this low-profile approach (described by one Democrat as "excessively quiet") worried some Democrats who wanted to know if the potential administration would look more like Biden's or not.[123] Harris did state in private, however, that she intended to nominate a woman forsecretary of defense, who would be the first woman secretary of defense.[127]
Harris held her first campaign rally on July23, 2024, at theWest Allis Central High School gymnasium inWest Allis, Wisconsin; theRepublican National Convention had been held a week earlier in nearbyMilwaukee.[128] The event reportedly grew a larger audience than any event held by Biden's 2024 campaign, according to campaign spokesperson Kevin Muñoz, who had previously expected around 3,000 people to attend.[129]
On July30, Harris held an event in Atlanta atGeorgia State University'sconvocation center, telling the crowd of 8,000 people, "Well Donald... Meet me on the debate stage.... If you've got something to say, say it to my face."Megan Thee Stallion andQuavo also attended the rally, with Megan Thee Stallion performing several songs and addressing reproductive rights and Quavo speaking about his and Harris's gun violence prevention work.[130]
Harris and Walz appeared on August9 inGlendale, Arizona, atDesert Diamond Arena; U.S. senatorMark Kelly, Arizona attorney generalKris Mayes, U.S. Senate candidateRuben Gallego (AZ-3), and RepublicanMesa mayorJohn Giles also spoke.[137] Another rally took place the following day inParadise, Nevada, at theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas'sThomas & Mack Center.[138] Before the rally started hundreds of people who wanted to attend the rally were turned away because the venue had reached its capacity. The capacity of the venue is about 18,000 people.[139] According to the campaign, 14,000 people were in the arena and law enforcement closed the doors around 5:45 PM as people who were waiting in line outside became ill. The campaign estimated that 4,000 people were either waiting in line or in their cars when law enforcement closed the doors.[140]
Harris frequently held campaign rallies with celebrities and singers who have endorsed her campaign, including a series of concert rallies to drum up enthusiasm during the final stretch of the campaign.[145] On October 26,Beyoncé andKelly Rowland spoke and introduced Harris at a rally inHouston.[146] On October 30,Mumford & Sons,Gracie Abrams,Remi Wolf, andThe National performed ahead of Harris at a campaign rally targeting youth voters inMadison. Abrams and Wolf also giving speeches in support of Harris.[147]
On October 31,Los Tigres Del Norte performed ahead of her speech inPhoenix. Later that day,Jennifer Lopez andManá were scheduled to appear alongside Harris inLas Vegas in an event targetingLatino voters.[148] On November 1,Cardi B joined Harris at a campaign rally inWest Allis, Wisconsin. During her speech, she strongly dismissed the notion of giving Trump another chance, highlighting her dedication to safeguarding her future and that of her children. Cardi's appearance was preceded by performances from rappersFlo Milli andGloRilla, and actorKeegan-Michael Key.[149][150][151][152] On November 2, she made a surprise appearance onSaturday Night Live, appearing in the episode's cold open, having a pep talk with her impersonatorMaya Rudolph.[153]FCC regulatorBrendan Carr claimed that her guest appearance violatedequal time rules that govern political programming.[154] In response, NBC aired two pro-Trump advertisements at the Trump campaign's request.[155]
Harris framed her campaign as "a choice between freedom and chaos" and based it around the ideals of "freedom" and "the future".[157][158] The Harris campaign sought to highlight her experience as an attorney general and a prosecutor to "prosecute the case" against Trump by pointing out his 34 felony convictions.[159] Harris ran as a moderate Democrat and moderated several of her policy positions since her 2019 run, with many of her domestic policy stances resembling Biden's.[160][161][15] Harris's stances also had a particular focus on reproductive healthcare.[15]
While the tone of the Harris campaign was initially optimistic and joyful,[162][163] it shifted into bleaker territory in the last month of the election, with Harris accusing Trump of fascism.[164][165] Another aspect of Harris's campaign messaging in July focused on branding Republicans, Trump, and vice presidential nominee JD Vance as "weird" on multiple occasions.[166] Such comments originated withTim Walz, whom Harris later selected as her running mate, Harris, and others in the Democratic party.[167][168] This and the messaging shift towards "freedom" were initial departures from Biden's electoral arguments, which revolved around protecting democracy.[157]
The campaign got a booster after a strong performance by Harris in the September 2024presidential debate against Trump.[169] Harris was declared the winner of the debate by many political analysts.[170][171] Some analysts noted that for Harris, this was the "best debate performance of her career," in which she highlighted her strengths and rattled former president Trump.[23]
Domestic issues
Kamala Harris at a "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" roundtable in Grand Rapids, Michigan (Feb 2024)
Abortion
Harris supports national protections forabortion, which were reversed afterRoe v. Wade (1973) was overturned by ofSupreme Court withDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022). Under the Biden administration, she prominently campaigned for abortion rights.[16] In March 2024, Harris became the first sitting vice president to visit an abortion clinic, and she toldPolitico in July 2024 that "we need to put into law the protections ofRoe".[172][173]
Bipartisanship
Harris said said she would appoint a Republican to her potential Cabinet.[174][175]
Cannabis
Harris has publicly stated support for full federalcannabis legalization, and removing it entirely from theControlled Substances Act. Harris-Walz was the first major party presidential ticket to do so.[176][177] Harris repeated this after becoming the Democratic nominee.[178]
Harris is an advocate forenvironmental justice to address the impact of climate change on lower-income areas and people of color. Under Biden, she supported his climate legislation.[16] Harris helped pass theInflation Reduction Act,[180] the largest investment in addressing climate change and clean energy in US history[181] putting the US on track to meet emissions reduction targets by 50–52% below 2005 levels by 2030.[182] Harris's campaign has stated that she does not support a ban onfracking.[183][161][160] In an interview in August 2024, Harris stated that if elected president she would not ban fracking.[184][185]
Harris has described herself as a pro-business, pragmatic capitalist and invokedFranklin Roosevelt in describing her economic philosophy.[186] Harris's economic agenda had been described by some as initially populist, with a few policy proposals that departed from Biden's. Harris's proposals included plans to eliminate medical debts, combattingprice gouging for groceries and food, a cap onprescription drug costs, and up to $25,000 in tax credit subsidies for first-time homebuyers. Harris proposed toeliminate taxes on tips and create a $6,000child tax credit for the first year of a child's life, proposals that follow similar suggestions from her presidential competitors Trump and Vance, respectively.[18][17] Harris also pushed to raise theminimum wage, banhidden fees and late charges from financial institutions, and limit "unfair" rent increases.[187][188] Harris has opposed Trump's proposed 20% tax on imports.[189]
The New York Times described Harris's economic policy as embracing "the idea that the federal government must act aggressively to foster competition and correct distortions in private markets." Harris has proposed raising taxes on corporations and high-earners to fund services for the lower and middle classes and reduce the deficit. Harris has also proposed tax breaks to companies delivering economic benefit, such as manufacturing technologies to fight global warming and building affordable housing.[190] Harris has spoken in support of the middle class and labor unions.[191][192] Harris has stated she supports increasing the top tier capital gains tax rate to 28%, up from 20% and lower than Biden's proposed 39.6%. Harris has stated her support for a Billionaire Minimum Income Tax, increasing the tax on stock buybacks to 4%, and a ten-fold tax reduction for small business ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 in relief.[193] Harris has stated she supports efforts to create a tax on unrealized gains for those with more than a $100 million in net worth if they do not pay a minimum 25% tax rate on their income inclusive of unrealized gains so long as 80% of said wealth is in tradeable assets. The plan would impact a small percentage of America's wealthy, and Axios reported most tech founders and investors would be spared.[194] Harris has also announced support for restoring the corporate tax rate to 28% among several other tax proposals to raise taxes and close loopholes for corporations and the wealthy that would bring in $5 trillion in additional revenue over 10 years.[195]
TheCommittee for a Responsible Federal Budget has estimated that Harris's policy proposals would increase the federal deficit by $1.7 trillion over a decade.[18] TheTax Foundation has estimated that her proposals would cost over $2 trillion over a decade. Harris's more populist proposals, such as her proposal to end taxes on tips and ban perceived price gouging, have been criticized by left-leaning economists as counterproductive. Other proposals, such as raising the minimum wage and raising tax credits, have met with more support from economists.[196][189]The New York Times reports that Harris's tax proposals have largely tracked Biden's, and in total add less debt burden than Trump's plans which are estimated to add $4 trillion to the debt after taxes.[197]
Prior to her nomination, Harris promoted the passage of theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, funding for small business, and supported an act as senator to provide a $6,000 tax credit for middle and low-income families.[16]
Harris speaking at an event on August 15, 2024, about lowering prescription drug prices
Healthcare
Harris has supported efforts to strengthen coverage under theAffordable Care Act,[161] including setting caps on seniors' out-of-pocket prescription drug prices at $2,000 and limiting the cost of insulin for those on Medicare to $35 enacted as part of theInflation Reduction Act.[180] Harris has been a proponent of White House efforts to ban medical debt from credit reports.[191] Harris stated she no longer supported asingle-payer healthcare system.[161]
Housing
Harris has proposed directing $40 billion in tax incentives to construction companies for buildingstarter homes and sending $25,000 in down-payment assistance to every first-time homebuyer.[190] Harris says she will urge Congress to enforcefair housing laws, pass a bill to bar property owners from using services thatcoordinate rents through the passage of the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act, and pass the Stop Predatory Investing Act to remove tax benefits for Wall Street firms that buy up large numbers of single-family homes.[201][202] Her proposed housing policies are among the first to bringYIMBY ideas to the national political mainstream.[203][204]
Harris promised to fight for "strong border security" coupled with an earned pathway to citizenship. Following an August 2024 interview, Harris was described by immigration activists as positioning herself to be "tougher on immigration than Trump."[205][better source needed] Harris has highlighted her work in combating transnational gangs, drug cartels, and human traffickers while attorney general.[206] In 2023, as vice president, Harris announced pledges of US$950 million from private companies to support Central American communities to address the causes of mass migration, such as poverty.[16] While vice president, Harris supported a bipartisan bill,the Secure the Border Act, which would have funded additional border agents and closed the border if too crowded, and which was rejected by Trump. Trump called on House and Senate Republicans to kill the bill arguing that it would hurt his and other Republican's reelection campaigns and deny them the ability to run on immigration as a campaign issue.[207][208][209][210][211][212] Harris criticized Trump for his opposition to the bill on the campaign trail,[206] and promised to sign the bill into law as president.[213]
Harris stated she believes the immigration system is "broken" and needs to be fixed, and that she thinks most Americans also believe this.[16] In an August 2024 visit to the border in Arizona, Harris advocated for stricter asylum rules than president Biden.[214][215] Furthermore, Harris also pledged to crack down onfentanyl.[216][217] Her campaign video introduced on July 30, 2024, says, "Kamala Harris supports increasing the number ofBorder Patrol agents" and paints Trump as unserious on border security.[218]
LGBTQ rights
Harris is a strong supporter ofLGBTQ rights.[219] In 2022, Biden signed theRespect for Marriage Act, which requires states to recognize same-sex marriages and interracial marriages in case the Supreme Court overturnedmarriage equality.[220] At the signing ceremony, Harris and others gave speeches,[221] and Biden presented Harris with a pen as recognition of years of work for marriage equality.[222] In 2023, Harris visited theStonewall Inn and denounced legislative attacks ontransgender rights in states across the country. In July 2024, Harris conducted a fundraiser in the LGBTQ hotspot ofProvincetown, Massachusetts.[223][224]
Minimum wage
Harris supports raising thefederal minimum wage. Harris did not give a number for a federal minimum wage she supported. She has posted onTwitter praising that some states have raised the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour.[225][226]
Social services
Harris has supported the expanded child tax credit enacted in theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[180] Harris has expressed support for making child care and elder care more affordable and enacting paid family leave. Harris has also expressed support for student debt relief.[191] On August 16, 2024, she announced the proposal of a $6,000 child tax credit, expanding her populist economic agenda. Other policies including expanding a cap on prescription drug costs and permanently reinstating the expanded child tax credit.[227]
Supreme Court
Harris has supported Biden's call for term limits for Supreme Court justices and a constitutional amendment to reverse its decision inTrump v. United States (2024).[228]
During the 2020 vice presidential debate, Harris criticized former President Donald Trump's imposition of tariffs on Chinese imports, accusing Republicans of losing the trade war with China and losing hundreds of thousands of jobs as a result.[229]
Harris has advocated for "de-risking" from Beijing, a policy that encourages reducing Western economic dependence on China.[230] Harris is expected to continue deepening American alliances in Asia and the Pacific with the intention of curbing China's rising power both economically and militarily. Harris has previously spoken out againsthuman rights abuses in Hong Kong and co-sponsored theHong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act andUyghur Human Rights Policy Act.[231] As a senator, she condemned the persecution of Uyghur and minority women in western China and sponsoredMarco Rubio's sanctions punishing human rights abuses in the region, and during the 2019 debates also criticized China for stealing "our products, including our intellectual property" and for dumping "substandard products into our economy".[232] Harris has previously stated her support of Taiwan's self-defense, criticizedChinese naval harassment of Philippine vessels, and supportedfreedom of navigation in theSouth China Sea.[233][120]
India
In 2019, Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi repealedArticle 370, ending the semi-autonomous status ofIndian-administered Kashmir. Harris rebuked the move, saying "we must remind Kashmiris that they are not alone in the world."[234][235] In 2023, Harris entertained Modi at a state dinner and discussed her visiting her grandparents inMadras when she was growing up, the impact India has had on the world and their cooperation on topics like climate change, cybercrime and vaccine production.[236]
Iran
Harris was critical of Iran during her presidential campaign, referring to it as a "destablizing force".[237][238][239]
Israel and Palestine
Harris is seen by some as more sympathetic to Palestinians than Biden, who has described himself as a Zionist and has a long history with Israeli leaders.[240] Some analysts expected that Harris would have used a tougher tone with Israel.[240] Regarding theGaza war, she has specifically stated that she is against placing conditions on military aid to Israel though noted that how it defends itself matters.[241][229] Following theOctober 7 attacks, Harris strongly supported Israel's actions in theGaza war,[242][229] stating that "the threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel must be eliminated".[16] However, after December 2023, she criticized some of Israel's approach and theGaza humanitarian crisis.[242][240] In March 2024, Harris opposedIsrael's invasion of Rafah,[16] called for a six-week pause in the attacks,[243][229][16] and stated that the situation in Gaza is a "humanitarian catastrophe".[16]
Harris was described byUSA Today as "coming close to accusing Israel of war crimes" in one of her speeches, when she said international humanitarian law must be respected in the conflict.[244] Former Biden administration officials said in an interview withPolitico that Harris was less committed to the Israel policy and that one official was "cautiously optimistic" she would change it.[233] Harris declined to preside over a speech byIsraeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu on July 24, instead going to a campaign event.[245] After the speech, she condemned pro-Palestine protestors, pro-Hamas graffiti, and the burning of an American flag atUnion Station.[246] The next day, after she met with Netanyahu, she said, "Israel has a right to defend itself, and how it does so matters." She continued that Israel must agree toa ceasefire and hostage deal and work towards a two-state solution, emphasizing Palestinian suffering.[247] Before the rally, Harris had interacted with the co-founders of theUncommitted National Movement, hearing stories from family members about the war. Harris reportedly agreed to meet with the activists, and was described by them as "sympathetic".[248][249][250] However, Harris's national security advisor said that she did not support an arms embargo.[251] Throughout August, Harris and her campaign met with Arab-American and Uncommitted leaders inmetro Detroit, includingDearborn mayorAbdullah Hammoud.[252] However, in aCNN interview, Harris denied that she would shift policy from Biden and said that she would notend arms to Israel.[253][254][255] In September, theUncommitted National Movement said it would not endorse Harris for president because of her "unwillingness to shift on unconditional weapons policy or to even make a clear statement in support of upholding existing US and international human rights law".[256][257] By October, the movement encouraged its members to vote for Harris, arguing a second Trump presidency would be much worse for Palestinians.[258]
Harris was expected and has signaled to generally follow Biden's foreign policy on NATO and Ukraine, supporting both in the aftermath of theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[16][240]
Military
During her speech at the DNC, Harris said, "I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world".[259][260]
Trade
While Harris described herself as "not aprotectionist Democrat" during a2019 primary debate, she has been critical of pastfree trade deals, stating she would have voted against theNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) of 1992 and the proposedTrans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) of 2016; in 2020, she voted against theUnited States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). However, trade has never been a major focus for Harris; as such, her positions are not entirely known.[232] TheCenter for Strategic and International Studies notes that she has said so little about trade that most analysts have to dig up these old votes and statements and assume that she will continue Biden's policies: for instance, President Biden has maintained most ofTrump's tariffs on China and increased some of them, and so likely won't make significant changes.[261] TheCATO Institute in 2020 noted that while Harris does not seem to be aneconomic nationalist, her terms of engagement are a bit unclear other than that she wants more labor and environmental protections.[262]
On September 10, 2024, American singer-songwriterTaylor Swift endorsed Harris for president in a highly publicized Instagram post, following the first debate between Harris and Trump. Swift, explained her support for Harris and running mateTim Walz, signing off as "Childless Cat Lady," a reference to comments made by Trump's running mate,JD Vance, about women without children. Meanwhile, Trump's campaign criticized the endorsement, arguing that it reflected the Democratic Party's alignment with "wealthy elites".[270] That same month,Billie Eilish and her brotherFinneas O'Connell also endorsed Harris for president.[271] On October 3, 2024,Bruce Springsteen formally endorsed Harris for president describing the election as "one of the most consequential elections in our nation’s history" and calling Trump "the most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime".[272]
The Harris campaign was opposed by some Arab Americans who expressed frustration with her stance on theGaza war and2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.[277] According to theFinancial Times, Israel's wars "threatened to shatter" the advantage the Democratic Party once held amongst Arab Americans inMichigan.[278] An October 2024 poll by theArab American Institute showing Arab American support tied between Harris and Trump.[279] The "Abandon Harris" movement, which encouraged Harris to change her position on Gaza, endorsedJill Stein for president in October 2024.[280] TheUncommitted National Movement and Arab American Political Action Committee both declined to endorse a candidate.[281][282] U.S. House RepresentativeRashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, declined to endorse Harris for president.[283] A group of approximately 50African-American Muslim community leaders signed an open-letter urging voters not to vote for Harris and instead vote for a candidate who supported both a ceasefire in Gaza and anarms embargo on Israel.[284]
In the final weeks of the presidential campaign, the Harris campaign featured several controversial surrogates speaking on the topic of Gaza. In Michigan, the Harris campaign enlisted U.S. RepresentativeRitchie Torres, who emphasized that Harris' team had rejected a Palestinian-American speaker at theDemocratic National Convention because she didn't want any speakers opposing Israel.[285] Also in Michigan, former-U.S. presidentBill Clinton caused a backlash by criticizing Arab and Muslim Americans hesitant to support Harris, stating Israel had been "forced" to kill civilians.[286] His comments led theInstitute for Middle East Understanding to state, "Bill Clinton's racist and ahistorical remarks were meant to justify theethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land. The Harris campaign is doing itself no favors attaching itself to that kind of hateful rhetoric".[287]
Harris ultimately won fewer votes than Trump inDearborn, Michigan, which has been nicknamed the "capital of Arab America"[288] and has one of the highest Arab-American concentrations in the United States. Biden had won the city in the2020 United States presidential election by a substantial margin.The Detroit News cited disagreement with Biden's foreign policy towards Israel and economic frustrations as some of the reasons for Harris' loss.[289]The Times of Israel described the level of support towards Trump within Dearborn as "unimaginable" four years prior.[290]
From August 2024 until the election, Harris generally held a narrow lead in the nationalpopular vote while being statistically tied in the variousswing states.[291] In addition, her favorability ratings significantly increased among Democrats and independents in polling following her campaign launch.[19] An August poll by theCouncil on American-Islamic Relations of Muslim-Americans showed that support for Harris (29.4%) was nearly tied withGreen Party nomineeJill Stein (29.1%). Harris still received nearly four times the support as Biden had in a prior poll (7.3%).[292]
Nationally, Harris ran consistently behind Clinton and Biden, faring similarly in swing states. At first, Harris began outrunning Trump nationally and in swing states, hitting far better marks than Biden for 2024. However, three weeks out, Harris began slipping, with many swing states becoming dead heat races.[293]
^Sentner, Irie; Mitovich, Jared (July 26, 2024)."Republicans are already souring on JD Vance".Politico.Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. RetrievedJuly 27, 2024.And Harris — who would be the first Black and South Asian woman president and is running a campaign with the unofficial slogan "we're not going back" — has made the contrast with the Trump-Vance ticket even more stark.
^Bordoff, Jason (December 2022)."AMERICA'S LANDMARK CLIMATE LAW".International Monetary Fund.Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. RetrievedJanuary 16, 2024.The Inflation Reduction Act is the most significant piece of climate legislation in the history of the United States.
^Ball, Molly (September 15, 2024)."Why the Pro-Housing 'Yimby' Movement Is Wading Into the Election".The Wall Street Journal.Archived from the original on September 26, 2024.Harris's proposal to build millions more homes draws fans among 'Yes in My Backyard' activists [...] Their cause, long the boutique obsession of a scattering of wonky bloggers and local activists, has suddenly moved to the political mainstream this election season. Yimby-tinged ideas are a central plank in Vice President Kamala Harris's platform to bring down prices and were prominently mentioned at last month's Democratic convention.
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