Kamala Harris ends 2020 bid over ‘struggles to raise funds’
KAMALA HARRIS, the California senator, has dropped out of the race to win the Democratic presidential nomination to take on Donald Trump at the 2020 election.
Ms Harris was seeking to be the first ever black woman nominated for president by the two major political parties and had been widely touted as a strong contender.
However, after a brief polling surge when she challenged Joe Biden, the former US vice-president and front-runner, on the debate stage. Ms Harris has sunk to low single digits in national polling.
The source of her struggles appears to have been a mix of being caught between clear left and centre pitches from rivals, lack of policy clarity over policies like healthcare and nagging questions over electability.
In a message to supporters announcing the news, Ms Harris wrote: “My campaign for president simply doesn’t have the financial resources we need to continue.
“I’m not a billionaire. I can’t fund my own campaign. And as the campaign has gone on, it’s become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete.
“So, to you my supporters, it is with deep regret – but also with deep gratitude – that I am suspending my campaign.”
Ms Harris, who had earned a reputation for her fierce grillings of Republicans during congressional hearings, was seen as a formidable candidate as the race began.
A former California attorney general, Ms Harris (55) built her campaign around the idea of restoring justice to America.
But since that high, when around 15pc of Democrats said they were backing her, Ms Harris steadily slipped to an average of 3.4pc in the polls.
In a race centred on a battle between the party’s progressives and moderates, Ms Harris was caught in the middle, trying to appeal to both camps. (© Daily Telegraph, London)