‘Not a billionaire to fund campaign’: Kamala Harris after dropping out of 2020 US presidential race

‘Not a billionaire to fund campaign’: Kamala Harris after dropping out of 2020 US presidential race

ANIUpdated: Wednesday, December 04, 2019, 07:04 AM IST
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Washington DC [USA]: California Senator Kamala Harris, who dropped out of the 2020 presidential race, said on Tuesday that she was finding it difficult to manage her campaign due to paucity of financial resources and vowed to continue her fight for the future of the country by defeating US President Donald Trump.

"Here's the truth today. I have taken stock and looked at this from every angle. Over the last few days, I have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life. My campaign for president simply doesn't have the financial resources we need to continue," she said in a four-minute video message posted on Twitter. "To my supporters, it is with deep regret, but also with deep gratitude, that I am suspending my campaign today. I am not a billionaire. I cannot fund my own campaign. And as the campaign has gone on, it has become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete," Harris underlined.

The 55-year-old Democrat expressed her gratitude to supporters and volunteers of her campaign, for putting their faith on her. She also took the opportunity to thank her family and friends who supported her during the campaign. "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. Let us keep fighting for the America we believe in, an America free of injustice, and an America that we know can be unburdened by what has been," she remarked.

Outlining the issues her campaign took during the last 11 months, Harris spoke about respecting people of other races, women empowerment and steps needed to end gun violence in the US. "Our campaign has been about fighting for people whose voices have not been heard or are too often ignored. We will keep up that fight. We were the first to put the injustice of inadequate teacher pay on the national agenda. We were the first to demand justice to our children, declaring we would take bold executive actions to stop gun violence," she said.

"Our campaign was the first to demand justice for women, with a plan to block unconstitutional state abortion laws. We will keep up that fight. Our campaign uniquely spoke to experiences of black women and people of colour, and their importance in the success and future of this party," Harris, who is of mixed Indian and African heritage, continued.

"Our campaign demanded no one should be taken for granted by any political party. We will keep up that fight because no one should be made to fight alone," she added. The Democrat Senator said that her campaign showed that children in the country regardless of their colour or gender, can lead and hold positions of power in the country. "In that way, this campaign has been so much bigger than me. It's been the honour of my life to be your candidate," she said.

"But I want to be clear with you -- I am still very much in this fight. I will keep fighting every day for what this campaign has been about. Justice for the people. All the people," Harris further said. The Democrat's withdrawal from the 2020 race marked the end of her bid for the top post that saw her poll numbers plummeting and fundraising performances drying up.

Harris, who officially announced her candidacy for the US president in January this year, was seen as a front-runner for the top post even before beginning her campaign with a massive public gathering in her hometown Oakland in California. However, she struggled to convert the early enthusiasm into a proper and sustained movement for the presidency and was criticised for her inability to articulate a vision on issues like healthcare, The Hill reported.

Harris' polling charts soared when she took on former Vice President Joe Biden in the first Democratic presidential debate in June. Since then, her campaign failed to gain traction and her polling numbers continued to sink. In the last debate, Harris confronted with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, another Democratic presidential hopeful. The Democrat Senator was the first African-American woman to announce a run for the White House in 2020.

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