As Vice President Kamala Harris embarks on another quest for the White House as the Democrat presumptive nominee, despite never running as a presidential candidate in the 2024 Democrat primary, let’s take a look back at how her last presidential campaign ended in ruin.
Harris started strong during the 2019 cycle, thanks to a late June debate performance where she attacked then-candidate Joe Biden on race and busing issues. This led to an increase in poll numbers as shown by data from RealClearPolitics. However, when her campaign faltered, it did so quickly. Following a short bump, Harris plummeted down the polling average chart until she eventually dropped out.
By the end of the campaign, relations between Harris and her then-campaign manager, Juan Rodriguez, were strained, with staffers and aides blaming her for what was ultimately a failed run. The New York Times reported that the campaign was on its last legs in late 2019, facing financial disrepair and internal factions and finger-pointing. Former Harris aide Gil Duran told the outlet, “You can’t run the country if you can’t run your campaign.
Tension within the campaign seemed to be driven by Harris’s sister, Maya Harris, who was the campaign chairwoman, going unchallenged, as per the Times. Additionally, Harris caught criticism from advisers for her haphazard attacks on rivals.
An article published just days before Harris announced the end of her bid stated that “aides said it’s unclear who’s in charge of the campaign.” Another major issue that contributed to her downfall was voter confusion regarding where she stood on various issues, such as health care. Throughout the campaign, Harris had never been steady on this topic and even needed to backtrack following an ill-fated moment at a CNN town hall where she said “let’s eliminate all that” when asked about supporting a healthcare plan that would get rid of private insurance.
As she takes another shot at the presidency after a successful behind-the-scenes pressure campaign from top Democrats, Hollywood elites, and donors to force out President Joe Biden as the nominee, Harris is still haunted by her disastrous 2020 run. Republicans have already released ads exposing her record via videos and interviews from her last bid.