'I am honoured': Kamala Harris is the Democratic nominee for US president

US Vice President Kamala Harris has officially secured the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, marking her extraordinary ascent to become the party's standard-bearer in the November showdown against Republican Donald Trump. 

Harris, the sole candidate on the ballot, was confirmed after a five-day electronic vote by nearly 4,000 party convention delegates. 

She will be officially nominated at a convention in Chicago later this month. Harris is the first Black woman and first South Asian woman to be the White House nominee for a major U.S. political party. If she defeats Republican nominee Donald Trump in November, she will become America's first female president.

"I am honoured to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States," said Harris, 59, during a phone-in to a party celebration after securing the necessary votes by the second day of the marathon voting process.

In the two weeks following President Joe Biden's announcement that he would not seek reelection, Harris has swiftly consolidated her control over the party. No other Democrats stepped forward to challenge her, making her confirmation as the first Black and South Asian woman to secure a major party's nomination a historic formality.

With her nomination confirmed, Harris is preparing to hit the campaign trail next week, embarking on a tour of seven crucial battleground states alongside her newly chosen running mate, whose identity is expected to be revealed shortly.

The Democratic Party opted for a virtual nomination process, reflecting the approach taken during the pandemic-hit 2020 vote. This decision was influenced by Ohio's August 7 deadline for major parties to submit the names of their certified candidates for the November election. The virtual roll call marks the official start of the 2024 convention, though the real festivities will begin when thousands of party faithful gather in Chicago on August 19.

Kamala Harris's rise has been nothing short of meteoric. Following President Biden's withdrawal on July 21, Harris quickly garnered widespread support, smashing fundraising records, drawing massive crowds, and eroding Trump's polling leads over Biden. This momentum is something Harris aims to sustain through the convention and into the general election.

Next Tuesday, Harris is set to make her first public appearance with her running mate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—a critical swing state. Pennsylvania's Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, is among those being considered as potential running mates. Harris's campaign tour will cover the key "blue wall" states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, aiming to rebuild the coalition that secured Biden's victory in 2020.

Additionally, Harris will extend her tour to more racially diverse Sun Belt and southern states, including Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada. This strategic move seeks to solidify the Black and Hispanic votes, which have shown signs of drifting away from the Democratic Party in recent years.

As Kamala Harris gears up for the next phase of her campaign, her nomination represents a significant milestone in American politics.