US Senator Kamala Harris ending 2020 presidential bid
- Campaign lacks financial resources to continue, Democratic lawmaker says in email to supporters
- Despite strong early showing, Harris failed to win support in key states and lagged behind front runners in fundraising
US Senator Kamala Harris ended her 2020 presidential bid on Tuesday, abandoning a campaign that began with promise for a rising star in the Democratic Party but faltered as she struggled to raise money or make a compelling case for her candidacy.
“I’ve taken stock and looked at this from every angle, and over the last few days have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life,” Harris said in an email to supporters on Tuesday.
“My campaign for president simply doesn’t have the financial resources we need to continue.”
Harris, who had she been elected would have been the first woman and second black US president, held a conference call with staff on Tuesday afternoon to inform them of her decision, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Harris, 55, positioned herself as a unifying candidate who could energise the party’s base of young, diverse progressives while also appealing to more moderate voters.
Yet after climbing into double digits in opinion polls after a strong debate performance in June, Harris slid out of the top tier in recent months and lags behind leading candidates’ fundraising hauls.