Kamala Harris, the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democrats has remained a symbol of hope and representation to over 4.4 million Indian-Americans in the US since she became the Vice President. The ‘Harris for President, 2024’ campaign’s deputy national finance chair, Ajay Bhutoria, said that there is strong interest from below that has propelled her campaign to early success.
Last week at age 59, Harris officially kicked off her presidential bid after Joe Biden declared he would not seek re-election on July 20. Her campaign trails have already shown significant momentum although she has not yet been formally declared as the Democratic candidate.
“Additionally, Kamala Harris being of an Indian origin brings a heightened level of excitement and support from Indian Americans. “It is not just about a candidate; it is about hope and representation for all those over four million Indian Americans like me who come from Chennai in India” quoted Bhutoria as saying by PTI.
The Indian-American community with its sway and engagement will be a deciding factor in crucial battlegrounds. “This bloc could tip key battleground states”.
On Sunday, within one week of her announcement as a candidate last Sunday, the Harris campaign stated it had raised $200 million and enlisted 170000 volunteers which signalled widespread support. “Since Harris became a candidate less than one week ago it has united all of the Democrats around her candidacy and we are seeing organic enthusiasm produce results,” noted Bhutoria.
From record-breaking fundraising to unprecedented crowds and volunteers pouring into field offices across the battlegrounds, Team Harris is fired up to elect the Vice President and defeat Trump-Vance’s extremist ticket”, imparts PTI. “There have been record-breaking fund raising efforts never before witnessed in any political race here or anywhere else coupled with unprecedented crowd sizes at rallies throughout these battleground states where scores upon scores of volunteers pour into our field offices day after day,” commented Bhutoria.
Harris will face off with Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s candidate, for the general election on November 5. “Momentum and energy for Harris is real; so are the fundamentals of this race: this is going to be a very close election decided by a small number of voters in a few states only,” stated Bhutoria.
To do this, the Harris campaign has planned a weekend of action to mark 100 days until Election Day. He also added that “30 minutes ago we launched a national grassroots event for our campaign’s One Hundred Days Out — National Weekend of Action!”.
The broader significance of Harris was also brought into focus by Bhutoria who said “Kamala Harris symbolizes hope and leadership at a time when America stands at crossroads.” Her candidacy presents an audacious vision for tomorrow— one which pledges to strengthen democracy, defend reproductive rights and open doors to all Americans.
In contrast, Harris offers an attractive way forward as the nation faces an important decision between progress and inclusion or division and regression. Let us take one step back before moving two steps forward,” concluded Bhutoria.
