Kamala Harris Drops Out Of 2020 Presidential Race

Kamala Harris drops out of 2020 race citing campaign funding concerns

California senator Kamala Harris announced today that she’s dropping out of the democratic primary race for president. In a post on Medium, she cited campaign fundraising shortcomings as her reason for bowing out.

“I’ve taken stock and looked at this from every angle, and over the last few days have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life,” Harris writes. “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,” she continues. “And as the campaign has gone on, it’s become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete.”

She explains that “with deep gratitude” she’s suspending her campaign.

“But I want to be clear with you: I am still very much in this fight,” she writes.

Harris outlined all the gains her campaign has made on getting issues like teacher pay, stopping gun violence, and reproductive justice into the spotlight. She also thanked husband Douglas Emhoff along with their family and friends for their support. “Of course, I could not have done this without my husband Doug and my entire family and friends who gave up so much to embark on this journey with me and have supported me every step of the way.”

Emhoff sent his own sweet message of support to Harris on Twitter shortly after her announcement:

Harris saw a surge in the polls after the first debate, but in the months afterward, was unfortunately not able to move the needle much further. According to Axios, her campaign began laying off staff in early November. In a prior interview with Axios, Harris seemed to see the writing on the wall, citing the fact that America has never seen a female president, let alone a woman of color, as “the elephant in the room about [her] campaign.” She told the outlet, “When there is not a reference point for who can do what, there is a lack of ability or a difficulty in imagining that someone who we have never seen can do a job that has been done, you know, 45 times by someone who is not that person.”

Harris actually qualified for the December democratic debates, unlike several other candidates who have yet to drop out of the race.

She ended her message on a hopeful note. “And I want to be clear: although I am no longer running for President, I will do everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump and fight for the future of our country and the best of who we are. I know you will too. So let’s do that together.”

“Let’s keep fighting for the America we believe in, an America free of injustice. An America that we know we can be unburdened by what has been.”