Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign

Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, announced her 2024 campaign for president on July 21, 2024. On that date, incumbent president Joe Biden withdrew his re-election campaign and immediately endorsed her to replace him in his place as the party's presidential nominee. Harris officially became the nominee of the Democratic Party on August 5 following a virtual roll call vote. She selected Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate the following day. The two faced off against, and were defeated by, the Republican ticket of former president Donald Trump and U.S. senator JD Vance of Ohio.

Harris's domestic platform was similar to Biden's on most issues. She supported national abortion protections, LGBT+ rights, stricter gun control, and legislation to address climate change. She also supported federal cannabis legalization, strengthening voting rights, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, and federal funding of housing. Harris departed from Biden on some economic issues, initially proposing what some described as a "populist" economic agenda. Harris advocated for limited anti-price-gouging laws for grocery and food prices, a cap on prescription drug costs, and expansion of the child tax credit. On immigration, Harris supported increasing the number of Border Patrol agents and reforming the immigration system. On foreign policy, she supported continued military aid to Ukraine and Israel in their respective wars, but insisted that Israel should agree to a ceasefire and hostage deal and work towards a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

In September 2024, the campaign was bolstered by a strong performance by Harris in the presidential debate against Trump. Harris was declared the winner of the debate by many political analysts. Post-debate polls indicated a close presidential contest.

Following the debate, however, a combination of both ineffectual campaigning (including alongside controversial people to her base) and a series of gaffes regarding the Biden administration's performance led to a slippage in the polls. On election day, Harris lost the general election and the national popular vote to Republican former president Donald Trump on November 6, 2024; she conceded the following day. Harris lost all of the major battleground states, including the blue wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, which were considered key to her defeat. These states all had swings from voters who had previously voted for Biden in 2020 yet went for Trump in 2024. Had Harris been elected, she would have been the first female president and the fourth from California, after Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. She would also have been the first sitting vice president to assume the presidency since George H. W. Bush. Walz would become the third vice president from Minnesota, after Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale.