Some Democratic donors want to slow Harris’ nomination; potential challengers quick to endorse it

Some
of
the

Democratic
Party‘s
top
donors
have
been
urging
the
party
to
hit
the
brakes
on

Vice
President
Kamala
Harris‘
surge
towards
the
nomination,
arguing
for
a
more
“open”
and
inclusive
process
that
would
let
delegates
evaluate
several
potential
nominees.
The
problem
is,
there
aren’t
any
serious
contenders.

As
of
late
Monday,
there
did
not
appear
to
be
any
potentially
serious
challengers
for
the
Democratic
nomination
who
had
not
already
endorsed
Harris.

Billionaire
and
longtime
donor

Mike
Bloomberg
said,
“The
decision
is
too
important
to
rush,
because
the
election
is
too
important
to
lose”
in
a
statement
Monday.
He
notably
did
not
endorse
Harris.
Bloomberg
has
a
net
worth
of
over
$100
billion,
according
to

Forbes.

“Dem delegates
need
to pick
a
swing
state
winner,”
said
Netflix
executive
chairman
and
longtime
Democratic
donor

Reed
Hastings
in
a
social
media

post
on
Sunday,
shortly
after
Biden
dropped
out
of
the
race.

But
this
idea,
that
there
should
be
a
challenger
to
Harris
to
give
Democrats
options,
while
popular
with
some
Democratic
donors,
has
found
no
takers
so
far
among
the
crop
of
rising
Democratic
electeds
who
would
be
expected
to
actually
do
the
challenging.

On
the
contrary,
Democratic
governors
and
senators
and
House
members
have
been
lining
up
to
endorse
Harris,
instead
of
waiting
to
see
whether
any
potential
alternatives
emerge.

The
refusal
by
Democrats
to
entertain
these
calls
from
donors
who
want
to
slow
down
the
nomination
process
is
a
sharp
contrast
to
how
many

donors
successfully
lobbied
lawmakers
to
call
on
Biden
to
drop
out
of
the
race.

Despite
a
few
big
donors
pushing
for
a
pause
on
the
process,
the
Democratic
party
on
Monday
was
full
steam
ahead
with
its
new
frontrunner.

So
far,
no
Democrats
have
stated
their
intent
to
launch
a
counter
campaign
to
Harris,
as
she
rakes
in
her
party’s
endorsements
and
skyrocketing
donations.

In
the
hours
after
Biden
dropped
out
of
the
race
and
backed
Harris,
most
of
the
potential
challengers
to
her
campaign,
rather
than
throw
their
hats
in
the
ring,
endorsed
the
vice
president.

That
includes
California
Gov.
Gavin
Newsom,
North
Carolina
Gov.
Roy
Cooper,
Transportation
Secretary
Pete
Buttigieg,
Pennsylvania
Gov.
Josh
Shapiro,
Kentucky
Gov.
Andy
Beshear,
Illinois
Gov.
J.B.
Pritzker
and
Michigan
Gov.
Gretchen
Whitmer
—
all
of
whom
are
now
contenders
in
the
veepstakes
to
become
Harris’
running
mate.

Harris
on
Monday
also
secured
the
endorsement
of
top
Capitol
Hill
Democrats
including
one
of
Biden’s
closest
allies,
former
House
Speaker
Nancy
Pelosi,
D-Calif.

Pelosi’s
backing
is
a
key
signal
that
Democrats
are
coalescing
around
the
vice
president
with
just
over
a
week
until
Aug.
1,
when
the
Democratic
National
Committee
said
it
could
start
its
virtual
roll
call
process
to
designate
the
party
nominee.