Kamala Harris Ends White House Bid
Democratic Senator Kamala Harris on Tuesday announced she is suspending her 2020 presidential campaign.
"In good faith, I can’t tell you, my supporters and volunteers, that I have a path forward [to the Democratic presidential nomination] if I don’t believe I do," Harris said in a statement.
Languishing at single digits in the polls for months, the California senator said she did not have the financial resources needed to continue her campaign.
"I’m not a billionaire. I can’t fund my own campaign," the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica said. "And as the campaign has gone on, it’s become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete."
To my supporters, it is with deep regret—but also with deep gratitude—that I am suspending my campaign today.
But I want to be clear with you: I will keep fighting every day for what this campaign has been about. Justice for the People. All the people.https://t.co/92Hk7DHHbR— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) December 3, 2019
Harris entered the race in January seen by many pundits as a likely top contender. She briefly surged in the polls after a strong Democratic presidential debate performance in June, but saw support erode in the weeks thereafter.
On Monday, RealClearPolitics put her at 3.4% support for the nomination.
Prior to Tuesday's announcement, news reports surfaced of turmoil within her campaign. Last week, the New York Times quoted staffers as saying Harris was indecisive and failed in attempts to straddle rifts in the Democratic Party between progressives and moderates.
Harris stressed the end of her White House bid will not be the end of her political activism.
“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,” the senator said.
Other candidates have dropped out citing insufficient funding, such as New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker almost dropped out due to financial issues in September, but was able to organize a fundraising goal of over $1 million to keep the campaign going.
Harris had been the only person of color to qualify thus far for the next Democratic presidential debate December 19.