by Harrison T. Harwood ’20
Kamala Harris has dropped out of the 2020 presidential election due to a lack of financial resources. After consideration over Thanksgiving week, Harris, her campaign staff, family and senior aides decided to suspend the campaign on Monday, December 2 and formally withdrew on Tuesday, December 3.
Harris stated in her closing remarks that she’s not a billionaire like some of her rivals, and unlike them, she cannot afford to fund her own campaign. “As the campaign has gone on, it has been harder and harder to raise money we need to compete. I can’t tell you, my supporters and volunteers, that I have a path forward if I don’t believe I do.” Harris said in a video addressing her decision to drop out.
Despite having a noticeable advantage in the polls from her first Democratic debate in June, her ability to maintain a top spot in the race lasted only a few months, as Harris sank to fifth place by September. By the time Harris dropped out, she had the polling average of just above 3 percent via RealClearPolitics national polling average.
According to the New York Times, Harris’s struggles stemmed from her policy regarding her position on single-payer health care which removed her from the “Medicare for All” bill sponsored by Bernie Sanders. Some also believe that Harris did not incorporate her background as a prosecutor and attorney to the full extent which could have been used to attract moderate voters. Internal conflicts within Ms. Harris’s team also fazed her campaign as one staff member said that the senator had “no real plan to win.”
Ms. Harris remains committed to ensure a Democratic president in 2020 as she is a top contender for the party’s vice-president nomination. Harris’s decision to end her campaign specifically benefits moderates such as Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden, who look for support from her voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. Senator Harris continues to aid her party through participation in the impeachment trial in January, where she will face Donald Trump.
