INDIANAPOLIS: US Vice President Kamala Harris called on a rally of more than 6,000 Black women on Wednesday to help her revitalise the Democratic presidential campaign, ahead of her Republican rival Donald Trump’s return to the campaign trail.

Harris has emerged as the Democratic presidential candidate in the Nov 5 election after President Joe Biden, 81, ended his re-election bid on Sunday in the face of intense opposition from fellow Democrats who questioned his ability to win or to serve for another four years were he to do so.

The 59-year-old vice president, the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president — who would also be a historic first as president if she prevails over former President Trump, 78 — has shaken up a staid race and sparked new energy among Democrats.

The Trump campaign has insisted it is prepared for Harris’ candidacy, arguing she serves as a proxy for Biden on the economic and immigration policies that contributed to his sinking popularity with voters. Harris spoke at an event in Indianapolis hosted by the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, which was founded at Howard University, the historically Black college she attended. She hopes to tap sororities’ multi-generational network of Black women — who played an important role in Biden’s 2020 victory — to deliver strong voter turnout for Democrats again in November.

“I thank you. And now, in this moment, our nation needs your leadership once again,” Harris said. Harris and Trump are closely competitive, public opinion polls showed this week.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Tuesday showed Harris with a marginal two-percentage-point lead over Trump, 44pc to 42pc. A CNN poll conducted by SSRS showed Trump leading Harris, 49pc to 46pc. Both findings were within the polls’ margins of error.

On Tuesday, Trump took the unusual step of speaking to reporters on a conference call to underscore his campaign’s line of attack on the border, saying Harris was partially responsible for a record flow of migrants.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2024