The first Indian-origin US Senator and potential US Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has raised a whopping USD12 million over the first quarter of her Presidential campaign.
“She had received 218,000 individual contributions during the first quarter and 98% per cent of those contributions came in amounts smaller than USD100. Small-dollar donors could prove crucial in a crowded Democratic primary because they can be tapped repeatedly for contributions before hitting the $2,800 limit on what an individual can donate to a candidate for the primary election,” Harris said.
“A nationwide network of hundreds of thousands of grass-roots supporters has stepped up to lay the foundation for a winning campaign,” said Juan Rodriguez, Harris’s campaign manager, in a statement.
“This is a campaign powered by the people, focused on making health care a right, putting $500 a month in the pockets of working Americans, and giving every public school teacher in America a raise. We’re excited by the support we’re already seeing,” he added.
Harris has also refused to accept money from corporate PACs. Her website states clearly, “No corporate PACs—just people, like you! We don't have to accept a system that drowns out your voice. We can do better.”
There is a long list of candidates set to run against incumbent President Donald Trump in 2020. The candidates who have already announced their candidacy include Harris, Buttigieg, Sanders, O’Rourke, Elizabeth Warren, Julián Castro, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar and Tulsi Gabbard.
Kamala Harris declared her candidacy for the US Senate seat in late 2015 and also gained victory in 2016. Recently, Harris made an official announcement about being a Presidential candidate and also launched her campaign for 2020.
If elected, Harris would create history by becoming the first woman in the Oval Office, as well as the first Indian American President.