Kamala Harris favourite for the Democratic nomination, donation boom

Tensions n fact remain among the Democrats. Some influential voices have refrained in their homage to Biden's choice from an immediate endorsement of Harris, among themBarack Obama andNancy Pelosi, who had previously made it known that she preferred new open primaries to choose an alternative candidate to Biden. Obama confined himself to saying that he is confident that party leaders will "create a process from which an exceptional candidate will emerge". Democratic leaders, however, indicated that Obama has also in the past tended not to endorse candidates before their formal nomination. House whip Hakeem Jeffries and Senate leader Chuck Schumer have also avoided immediate endorsements of Harris.

However, Harris appears to be the big favourite, not least because she is in a position to inherit the entire political and campaign machine, of which she was already part as vice-president in the ticket with Biden. She should also have automatic access, together with the organisations, to the funds already collected, at the moment almost one hundred million, although controversy is not excluded.

Politically, if she is attacked as too progressive by the Republicans, she is in truth a moderate Democrat who is considered capable of attracting independent voters. If elected, she would make history: the first black woman to become president. Democrats are convinced that, thanks to these strengths and her 59 years against Trump's 78, she can radically change the dynamic of the race, which at the moment saw the party struggling. Not so Trump: immediately assailed her as being as incompetent as and more than Biden. 'She should not be president,' he claimed.

Among the Democrats, more than on Harris, the game that has opened is for the vice-presidential seat at her side. First and foremost, a number of governors could enter the race, from Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania to Roy Cooper of North Carolina to Andy Beshear of Kentucky. Also possible are Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Wes Moore of Maryland, JB Prtzker of Illinois and Tim Walz of Minnesota. Arizona Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly is also in the game. So is Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a past presidential candidate. Governor Gavin Newsom, on the other hand, is excluded because according to the US Constitution president and vice-president cannot come from the same state, on pain of losing the big voters in the same state for the purposes of winning the White House.

Kamala Harris has spoken in recent hours with former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This was told to CNN by an informed source, according to whom the telephone conversations held by the vice president are part of the contacts she has had for over 10 hours since yesterday afternoon. According to the American broadcaster, Harris has already spoken to over a hundred governors, congressmen, party leaders, trade unions and civil rights organisations.