Pelosi welcomes Harris home in California as West Coast donors raise $15.9m

SAN FRANCISCO - Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made the case for Vice-President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign at a fund-raiser in California on Aug 11 that raked in millions of dollars at the conclusion of a swing state tour by Ms Harris and her running mate.

Mrs Pelosi appeared with the Democratic presidential nominee in San Francisco at an event that the Harris campaign said raised more than US$12 million (S$15.9 million).

“This is a good day when we welcome Kamala Harris back home to California,” Mrs Pelosi said about the former US senator, attorney-general and district attorney from the state.

“She makes us all so proud. She brings us so much joy. She gives us so much hope,” she said at the fund-raiser, held in a hotel ballroom.

Ms Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have just finished a tour of multiple political swing states, packing rallies with thousands of people and building on the momentum that has propelled her since she took over at the top of the Democratic ticket.

Mrs Pelosi, the long-time lawmaker and Washington power broker, is credited with helping to usher President Joe Biden out of the presidential race.

Mr Biden, 81, stepped aside in July after a poor debate performance against Republican Donald Trump sparked turmoil within the Democratic Party and concerns that he could neither beat the former president nor complete a second four-year term.

The former Speaker’s comments in a television interview suggesting that Mr Biden had not yet decided whether to step aside were viewed as giving an opening to worried Democratic lawmakers to urge him to leave, even as the President had said he was staying.

Mrs Pelosi has praised Mr Biden’s achievements while criticising his former campaign. On Aug 11 she connected Ms Harris, 59, to the accomplishments of Biden’s administration.

“She knows the issues. She knows the strategy. She has gotten an enormous amount done working with Joe Biden,” Mrs Pelosi said.

Ms Harris, while acknowledging the enthusiasm, has also cautioned against getting caught up in it.

“We can take nothing for granted in this critical moment,” she said, after thanking Mrs Pelosi for her friendship and support.

“The energy is undeniable,” Ms Harris said. “Yes, the crowds are large.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom, once seen as a potential Democratic replacement for Mr Biden before he stepped aside, also attended.

Ms Harris, making her own case against Trump, said that if the former president got back into office, he would sign a national ban on abortion into law and warned that California would not be immune. Trump has sought to distance himself from Republican efforts to ban abortion, saying it should be up to individual states. REUTERS