Washington — Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepted the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday, framing the upcoming election as an opportunity for the nation to “chart a new way forward.”
Harris makes history as the first Black woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket, and her remarks closed out the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
“My entire career, I’ve only had one client: the people. And so, on behalf of the people, on behalf of every American regardless of party, race, gender or the language your grandmother speaks, on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey, on behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams, and look out for one another, on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth, I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America,” she said.
Harris kicked off her speech offering her thanks to President Biden, calling his character “inspiring,” and predicted history would look favorably upon his record in office. The vice president used her remarks to share her life story about being raised by a single mother in California and the circumstances that motivated her to become a prosecutor, and to encourage voters to look to a future that moves past division and embraces unity.
“With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past, a chance to chart a new way forward, not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans,” she said.
The vice president said the upcoming election is “not only the most important of our lives, it is one of the most important in the life of our nation.”
Harris shared her life story about being raised by a single mother in California and about what motivated her to become a prosecutor.
Harris’ acceptance speech caps not only the four-day convention, but a whirlwind first four weeks of her presidential campaign, which launched after President Biden announced he would be ending his bid for reelection. Harris quickly announced her own White House run and earned endorsements from Mr. Biden, the Obamas, the Clintons and a slew of other key figures in the Democratic Party.
The vice president’s newly minted campaign raked in more than $200 million in its first seven days, and Harris’ haul swelled to nearly $500 million raised in her first four weeks as a presidential candidate.
She announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate earlier this month, and the pair quickly hit the campaign trail for a series of events together in battleground states.
Democrats officially nominated Harris for president with a virtual roll call vote of state delegations conducted earlier this month, a milestone as she became the first Black woman to top a major party ticket. If elected in November, Harris will shatter more barriers as the first woman to become president.
While Harris has served as vice president for the past three years and before that, as a U.S. senator from California, she used her speech to reintroduce herself to the American people and described how her middle-class upbringing shaped her views of government.