BREAKING NEWS: DNC Holds Roll Call Vote To Secure Official Democratic Nomination For Kamala Harris

last month

On Friday, DNC delegates voted to make Vice President Kamala Harris the official Democratic Nominee for President.

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Transcript

00:00Hey everyone, I'm Ryan Thompson. I'm the Chief Mobilization Officer at the Harris Campaign.

00:05And I'm Nadia Anisha Belkin. I'm the National AANHPI Engagement Director on the Harris Campaign.

00:10We are coming to you live from our studio at Harris HQ here in Wilmington, Delaware. Thank

00:17you all for joining us today. This has been another exciting week for the Harris Campaign.

00:23As many of you saw on Tuesday evening in Georgia, we held our biggest rally to date.

00:30And just yesterday, the virtual voting for delegates officially began. As you may or may

00:35not know, the Vice President needs to exceed 50% of the votes to become the Democratic nominee

00:42for President. And folks, we are literally in the middle of the process to nominate Vice

00:48President Harris. And we thought we'd give you all a behind-the-scenes look at the voting process

00:54from around the country and highlight the tremendous effort by everyone who has put

01:00into casting their ballots and rallying support behind her.

01:03Yes, and we will be tracking the votes in real time. So in just a few minutes,

01:09we're going to be joined live by Director of Delegate Operations, Eli So, who is here at HQ

01:15tracking the ballots as they come in. He's going to give us an up-to-date look on the progress

01:22towards 2,350 votes, which is the threshold that Vice President Harris needs in order to secure

01:29the nomination. We're also going to be checking in with one of our local labor delegates, Robert

01:34Corona of IBEW Local 11, as well as the Nevada State Party Chair, Danielle Monroe Moreno.

01:42Before we get to all of that, we want to remind everyone to continue to stay engaged

01:48and active in this campaign. As always, please visit KamalaHarris.com

01:53slash organize to join up to volunteer and find an event near you.

01:58Please make sure to sign up. Now let's check in with Eli and the Harris for President

02:03Delegate Operations team to give us an update on where the voting stands. Hey, Eli.

02:09Thanks, Ryan. And hi, everyone. We are all, as you can see, hard at work making calls to delegates

02:15here. And over the past two weeks, we've been in touch with our delegates across the country,

02:19and we're working to get out their votes in order to nominate the Vice President.

02:23So our goal is to turn out the vote for all of the delegates ahead of our deadline on Monday,

02:28August 5th. But in doing so, we are continuing to build excitement for Chicago. And this is

02:34such an important part of the Vice President securing the nomination. Let's go back to Ryan

02:39and Nadia in the studio. Thanks, Eli. That was really cool to see. We'll continue to check in

02:46with you throughout this call to see where the votes stand. And for everyone watching,

02:50we wanted to show you all this ballot tracker. As you can see, the votes are now at 2,302,

02:58and the Vice President needs 2,350 votes to secure the nomination.

03:05Wow, we are getting close. Now we're going to hear from one of those delegates who is

03:10casting their vote. Please welcome to the show IBEW Local 11 Business Manager from California,

03:18Robert Corona. Over to you. Hi, everybody. Robert Corona from IBEW Local 11 here in Los Angeles.

03:25As a California delegate for Kamala Harris, a son of a Bracero, a veteran, and a union member

03:33for over 32 years, I'm proud to cast my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris from her hometown

03:39state of California. Vice President Harris has been a strong advocate for worker organizing and

03:44training, creating pathways to good union jobs. Major unions across various sectors quickly came

03:50out to endorse Vice President Harris. Educators, construction workers, healthcare professionals,

03:56farm workers, postal workers, service and public employees, as well as workers in communications,

04:03hospitality, nursing, transportation, utilities, and manufacturing. All are joining the growing

04:10list of supporters because she has a strong record of standing with working people.

04:15In this virtual roll call, countless labor leaders and union presidents have shown their support and

04:21voted for Vice President Harris. She has a proven track record of standing with workers. Now it's

04:27our turn to stand with her. Personally, I'm voting for Vice President Harris because of her unwavering

04:33commitment to labor rights and her personal dedication to supporting union workers and to

04:39make sure that this Inflation Reduction Act gets followed through with. And on a real personal note,

04:46I'm a father of four, three of which are strong, three strong young ladies, and we got to make sure

04:52that we get those rights back for the women that have been taken away and make sure that nothing

04:56else is taken away from the ladies. As the Vice President in the most pro-labor administration

05:02ever, I'm excited to continue this work with her and finish the job. Back to you.

05:07Thank you, Robert, for joining us and sharing your story of support for Vice President Harris.

05:13All right, I think it's time we check back in with Eli. Over to you.

05:18Thanks so much, Nadia. Well, since we last spoke, 22 delegates have cast their ballots,

05:25and we're continuing, of course, to make calls so that we can hit our numbers and ensure that the

05:29Vice President has all of the necessary ballots to meet that threshold and be the nominee,

05:35as you could hear just going off there. We also want to make sure that every delegate has a chance

05:39to vote before that deadline on August 5th, but that's where the ballots stand as of now,

05:44so I will go back to the studio with Ryan and Nadia.

05:49Thanks, Eli. All right, folks, as we mentioned, we are now going to head to Nevada to hear from

05:55State Party Chair Danielle Monroe Moreno, who is with the Nevada Democrats right now,

06:01look at the room. Welcome, Danielle.

06:11Chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party, my team and I just finished a tour of all 17 counties

06:19here in our beautiful, great state of Nevada, and we met with Democrats

06:24in communities at every corner throughout our state. No matter where we were at in our state,

06:31Nevada Democrats have one thing in common. They are fired up to elect Kamala Harris as our next

06:39president of the United States and are rolling up their sleeves to get the work done on her behalf.

06:46We know that the road to the White House runs through Nevada, so we are talking to our friends,

06:53our families, and neighbors about the importance of electing Kamala Harris this November,

06:59why another four years of Donald Trump would be disastrous for Nevada's hard-working families.

07:07We just won't let that happen. That's why I am honored to cast my ballot for Kamala Harris

07:14today to make her our party's official nominee for president.

07:24Thank you so much, Chairman Romareno.

07:29The passion and fire, you can just feel it coming all the way from the field in Nevada here today.

07:35Thank you so much, Chairman Romareno, for joining us on the call today,

07:39and thank you again to Robert Corona from IBEW in California.

07:44We know there's a lot at stake in this election, and it is wonderful to have so many community

07:48members and delegates talking about the reason why they are casting their vote for Kamala Harris

07:54today. What do you think? Should we check back in with Eli before we wrap things up here?

07:59Should we? Should we? Oh, you know what? I'm getting a notice. Before we do that,

08:04we have to connect with a special guest. Folks, I am very pleased to present to you someone who

08:11is very critical to our party's infrastructure and party leadership. Please welcome to the show

08:17the Chair of Democratic National Committee, Jamie Harrison.

08:25Hey, Chair.

08:47A little bit of trouble with Mr. Harrison's audio, but we're going back to him in a second.

09:04Folks, while we have you, we had to make a plug for ways that you can get involved right now.

09:09You know the best way to do that? Kamalaharris.com slash organize.

09:14And you might say, well, what happens when you sign up at that link?

09:17Yeah.

09:18Don't worry. We've got a space for you. We are phone banking. We are knocking on doors. We are

09:22sending out text messages. We are trying to connect the people with the policies, because we know

09:27Vice President Harris is going to lead us to victory on November 5th, and you definitely need

09:33to be part of those conversations. What do you think?

09:36And Nadia, I think it's important to remind folks that they're not in this campaign alone.

09:41Did y'all know that more than 3,600,000 volunteers have signed up since President

09:46Biden endorsed Vice President Harris and she launched this historic campaign?

09:51So you won't be alone when you go to Kamalaharris.com slash organize.

09:55I got to say, I'm on this campaign and I am shocked at the updates every single hour at

10:00the new number of volunteers that are coming in, the number of volunteer shifts that are

10:05being locked in. This is a phenomenal and electric moment. It is historic.

10:10And Nadia, I wanted to check in with you. How are things looking over there?

10:18Well, they're looking great. Thanks so much, Ryan. And this process started at just 9 a.m.

10:26this morning, and we're already so far into the process. So you can hear the dings going off.

10:30We're continuing to collect those ballots in order to nominate Vice President Harris.

10:36It's going really well.

10:38I'm going to do the hope story. I'll start off with the hope story and then go into this.

10:46Thanks, Eli. That's awesome to see. Nadia, I wanted to make a quick plug for something.

10:52Between Eli, you, me, we're wearing a lot of campaign merch, so we wanted folks to

10:57not know they were alone. So folks, I recommend you head out to store.kamalaharris.com.

11:03Get a t-shirt. Join us in our campaign.

11:08I love it. I think these pins really pop. And this shirt, blue is a good color for us.

11:14That's right. That's right. Nadia, when you're on the ground, when you're working in community,

11:20you work with all of our national Asian American leaders across the country. What are some of your

11:25favorite ways to engage them? What ways should folks watching get involved just like they are?

11:31Well, I'm going to go back to that sign up to volunteer link. You know, there is real power in

11:37being able to talk about your story and your experience with the policies that the Biden

11:42Harris administration have been able to move forward over these past three and a half years.

11:46The power of storytelling, the power of having a conversation with your friend, your neighbor,

11:50it is what builds a sense of community. And that is how this campaign really moves itself forward.

11:55So again, we are on phones. We are on text. We are writing postcards. We are doing rallies

12:00in community. If you're looking for a touch point on this campaign, we have it for you.

12:05And that volunteer link is going to be so key. The other thing I'll say here is I feel like a

12:10lot of people are seeing themselves in this campaign. So if you have not had a chance to

12:15see the launch ad or any of the other ads that this campaign has dropped, take a look at it,

12:20share it with friends, share it with family and watch it multiple times, because I can guarantee

12:24that you will see yourself amongst those images. I love that. Make sure to check out

12:28commonlyharris.com organize. We really want y'all to join our campaign. Look at the number

12:34of actions that we have today that you can do virtually this weekend across the country and

12:40in all battleground states. That is how we will win by organizing our communities, talking to

12:45the folks that we know and making sure we can send Vice President Harris to the presidency.

12:50This is wild. Oh, I'm just getting a ping. We are now joined by the chair of the Democratic

12:57National Committee, Jamie Harrison. Chair King of Harris, how are you doing?

13:01I can hear you, Ryan. I'm doing well and it's so good to see both of you there today. Listen,

13:09I want to tell a story at the start. I am so proud to be the chair of this party.

13:15I want to tell a story at the start. I am so proud to be the chair of this party.

13:20The Democratic Party has represented for me that it is the party of hope. To start off,

13:26I'm going to tell you a little story about what gives me hope. Many of you know that I was a

13:32staffer for the legendary Congressman Jim Clyburn. I worked on Capitol Hill. My job was to count the

13:40votes in order to pass legislation. I was the floor director in the Majority Whip's office.

13:45There was one night in which I was working late in the office. It was so late at night

13:51that a member of the custodial staff started coming by and vacuuming and wiping things down.

13:56I noticed her, but I went on doing my work. Finally, I had that feeling. You know that feeling

14:02you have when somebody is looking at you. I had that feeling. I looked up and there she was in

14:08the doorway. I motioned to her, and I said, ma'am, do you need to come in? I said, you're my boss.

14:14I'll come out into the hallway and I'll do my work. She said, no, son, you sit right there.

14:18She said, you know, I come and clean your office every night. You have a nice office. I said,

14:23thank you, ma'am. I appreciate it. I appreciate all that you do. She said, now, are you from

14:28South Carolina? I said, yes, ma'am, I am. She said, are you from Orangeburg? I said, yes,

14:34I am from Orangeburg. She walked over to my wall and she saw some pictures and she said,

14:41are these pictures of your family? I said, yes, they are. She held one picture up and she pointed

14:47to a person on it. She said, is that your mom? I said, yes, that's my mom. Is your mom's name

14:52Patricia, Patricia Harrison? I said, yes, my mom is Patricia Harrison. She stopped right in the

14:58middle of the room and she started shaking and she said, oh my God, I know your mom.

15:04I went to high school with your mom. I remember when your mom became pregnant and had to stop

15:10school in order to have you. And she came over and she hugged me and she said, I would have never

15:16thought that Patricia Harrison's son would be right here. You give me hope. My friends, that's

15:25what this party is all about. It's about giving people hope. It doesn't matter what background you

15:31are, what race you are, what religion, who you pray to, who you love, how you identify yourselves.

15:37Every person in this country deserves and should have the opportunity to live the American dream.

15:44That's what Joe Biden represents. That's what Kamala Harris represents. That is what the

15:50Democratic Party fights for every single day. So as chair of this great party, as chair of this

15:57party that is built on hope, I am so proud to confirm that Vice President Harris has earned

16:05more than a majority of votes from all convention delegates and will be the nominee of the Democratic

16:11Party following the close of voting on Monday. The outpouring of support we have witnessed for

16:17the Vice President has been unprecedented. We knew your ballots would come back quickly,

16:23but the fact that we can say today, just one day after we opened voting, that the Vice President

16:29has crossed the majority threshold and will officially be our nominee next week, folks,

16:34that is simply outstanding. You returned your nomination petitions at lightning speed.

16:41You made your voices heard, and what you said was clear. We are not going back.

16:49We have to send Kamala Harris to the White House. You demonstrated your dedication and your

16:55commitment to this process. We were already impressed, but you all somehow have managed

17:01to outdo yourselves. Folks, I'm sure you can see the commotion around me. I'm thrilled to

17:08be speaking to you from the United Center, where in just 17 days, the Vice President will make her

17:15acceptance speech. The stage is quite literally being set and being built right now. Everyone

17:21here is hard at work putting together what will certainly be a historic and momentous convention.

17:29We are going to celebrate. We're going to celebrate the Biden-Harris administration's

17:34success, Vice President Harris's vision, and our party's agenda to defend democracy and protect the

17:41rights and freedoms of all Americans. I'm proud to be a Democrat every day. We fight for every

17:49American. We stand up for our rights and freedoms. We are an important part of defending our nation's

17:57democracy. But today, my friends, is special because we can proudly say we will have the first

18:04woman of color at the top of a major party ticket. I'm proud to be a Democrat, and I am honored to be

18:13chair of this great party. To my friends who have not submitted their ballots yet,

18:20it's not too late to join the party and get in on this fun. Folks, you don't want to miss out.

18:27So to ensure that we head to our convention in Chicago with a show of force, a show of unity,

18:35it's critical that every delegate, every single one of you, every delegate returns their ballot.

18:41It's what you were sent to the convention to do. Your vote is important. It will go towards your

18:47state's roll call at the in-person convention, and it will show the strength and unity of this party.

18:54So folks, don't let your fellow Democrats down, and be sure to get your ballot in before Monday

19:00at 6 p.m. Eastern time. Together, we will rally around Vice President Kamala Harris

19:08and demonstrate the strength of our party as the nation tunes in to Chicago and all of us

19:13here at the United Senate. And I can assure, on August 19th, this will no longer be a construction

19:21zone, my friends. But listen, I think I am, am I getting a call?

19:31Jamie? I'm getting a call right now. Yes.

19:33It sounds like it's the future president of the United States, Kamala Harris.

19:39Hello, Vice President. Hi, Jamie, and everyone, everyone. Hello,

19:45hello, hello. Jamie, just in front of all the friends, I want to thank you for all that you

19:50have been doing. Your leadership at the Democratic National Committee, the DNC,

19:55has been extraordinary, and I know how hard you work. So, Jamie, thank you for everything that

20:00you are doing, and to everyone on the call, thank you for your hard work and all you have been doing

20:07over these last many, many, many months. And I know that we are excited about the future,

20:14but we also know that we got a lot of work to get there, and we have a lot of work to do. It's

20:18good work. We like hard work, and I just want to thank everyone for joining this call.

20:24Listen, I think we all approach our campaign with the same spirit, including that this is

20:30truly a people-powered campaign, and I would not be on this call right now and with you all were

20:37it not for your support and your trust, for which I am deeply grateful. I am honored to be the

20:44presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States, and I will tell you the

20:49tireless work of our delegates, our state leaders, and staff has been pivotal in making this moment

20:57possible, and your dedication cannot be overstated, your dedication to our country.

21:03You know, I know we all feel this way so strongly. We love our country. We believe in the promise of

21:09America, and that's what this campaign is about. So, of course, I will officially accept your

21:16nomination next week once the virtual voting period is closed, but already I'm happy to know

21:23that we have enough delegates to secure the nomination. And later this month, we will gather

21:29in Chicago, united as one party, where we're going to have an opportunity to celebrate this historic

21:36moment together. And again, this campaign is about all of us coming together, people coming together

21:42from every walk of life, every lived experience, and being fueled by our love of country, knowing

21:49that we are prepared to fight for the best of who we are. We believe in the promise of America,

21:55promise of freedom, opportunity, and justice, not just for some, but for all, and ultimately in this

22:01election, you all have heard me say many times, we each face the question, what kind of country do we

22:08want to live in? Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion, and rule of law, or a country

22:16of chaos, fear, and hate? And the beauty of our democracy is we each, every one of us, has the

22:24power to answer that question. And that is why I say, and know the power is with the people.

22:31So here's the bottom line, I say to all the friends on the call, we are going to win this election,

22:39and it is going to take all of us, whether it is making calls, connecting with our communities,

22:44engaging online, or even talking with people where we go every day, whether it be to the grocery

22:51store, our church, we are going to talk with people about the fact that we are all in this

22:56together, and we stand together. And so let's let folks know that our campaign is about the future,

23:03and it's about an expansion of rights and freedoms, and for the opportunity of everyone

23:08to not just get by, but to get ahead. So November 5, November 5th, is 95 days away,

23:16and North Carolina, for everyone there, you're kicking us off with absentee ballots that are

23:22being sent in just 35 days. So we are, we are in this, everyone, we are in this, we are on the road.

23:31And you know, it's not going to be easy, but we're going to, we're going to get this done. And

23:38as your future president, I know we are up to this fight. And when we fight, everyone will say in

23:45unison, we win. So thank you, everyone. Please take care, and I can't wait to see you in Chicago.

23:52And thank you again, Jamie. Thank you so much, Madam Vice President and Chair Harrison,

24:00for joining this group of supporters on this historic, powerful, emotional moment.

24:05And congrats again, Madam Vice President. Wow, I'm, I'm beaming, that was historic.

24:12I hope everyone on this call is as excited as we are. Folks, as you know, this election will be

24:19very close and will be decided by a small number of votes in just a few states. We need every one

24:26of you to do what you can to support Vice President Harris. There are so many ways that you

24:33can get involved in this campaign. And I promise that there is a place for you here. So please

24:40visit KamalaHarris.com slash organize to sign up to volunteer and find an event near you.

24:47We cannot win without you. And as Nadia mentioned, there are countless ways you can show your

24:55support. We are we are really excited to let y'all know we just released 5000 limited edition posters.

25:03You can see it behind me that you all can get for free at KamalaHarris.com slash history. That

25:11is KamalaHarris.com slash history and they're free. Oh, and I have to tell you, while you're

25:16there, you if you want to pick up some of this awesome merch that we've been wearing, we have

25:22something special for you there to use the discount code Kamala for 20% off your purchase.

25:28All right, one last mention KamalaHarris.com slash history. We want to close this amazing,

25:35historic, emotional, powerful event by thanking all of our incredible delegates and to team Eli

25:42and the delegate operations team for for their work. And thank you to everyone, even if you're

25:47not a delegate for your support and for joining this call on this historic day. The Democratic

25:54National Convention in Chicago, where we will unite at the United Center is right around the

25:58corner. So let's keep the momentum going. Thanks so much, everybody.

BREAKING NEWS: DNC Holds Roll Call Vote To Secure Official Democratic Nomination For Kamala Harris

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