The exact nature of Plouffe’s potential role is unclear, but some Harris allies want to add more experienced officials to his campaign. Plouffe ran Obama’s 2008 campaign and later served as a senior White House adviser during Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Neither Plouffe nor the Harris campaign responded to a request for comment.
Harris’ campaign will remain in Biden’s hometown, and much of the campaign leadership is expected to be there. The vice president asked campaign chairman Jen O’Malley Dillon to continue running his campaign on Monday, and O’Malley Dillon accepted. Harris also said Julie Chavez Rodriguez, whom Biden tapped as campaign manager, will remain. Chavez-Rodriguez is close to Harris after working in his Senate office and in his 2020 presidential run.
“I have every confidence that this team will be the reason we win in November,” Harris said.
On Monday, staff greeted Harris and Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, with loud applause and a standing ovation. Overnight, they also hung a California flag in honor of Harris’ home state and put up new signs to reflect the dramatic shift in their mission: “Harris President,” “Restore Row” and “Kamala.” But it was clear that the office makeover was still underway: A Biden-Harris logo was still papered on one wall.
Beyond the cosmetic changes, Harris must decide how to shake up the campaign messaging and strategy pursued by Biden and his closest aides as he moves closer to securing the Democratic nomination.
“We’re going to work with Vice President Harris to move this forward,” O’Malley told Dillon staff on Sunday, according to a transcript obtained by The Washington Post. “And we’re going to be excited to have new people come on board.”
It’s not clear who those new people are. Harris has a small group of aides in the broader Biden re-election effort. Sheila Nix, a longtime aide to first lady Jill Biden, serves as Harris’ chief of staff; Brian Fallon serves as his communications director; Megan Jones is a senior political consultant; and Sergio Gonzales is a senior consultant.
Some of Harris’ former aides include former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. They were brought back into committee ahead of a scheduled debate with JD Vance (R-Ohio). Harris’ senior White House and campaign aides began the preparation process and brought in Karen Dunn, a Washington-based attorney who helped prepare her for a 2020 debate against Vice President Mike Pence; Shawn Clegg, a California-based political strategist who has worked with Harris for years; and Rohini Kosoglu, a longtime Harris policy adviser who served in his Senate and vice presidential offices.
Mignon Moore, chair of the Democratic National Convention, and Donna Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee, are advising Harris and his team. Harris’ brother-in-law, Tony West, who is chief legal officer at Uber, accompanied the vice president to Delaware on Monday to help.
In the first 24 hours since Biden endorsed Harris, the campaign said it raised $81 million, the largest single-day fundraiser in the history of a presidential race. On Sunday afternoon, Biden’s campaign team officially changed its name from “Biden for President” to “Harris for President” with the Federal Election Commission.
“Already, we’re seeing a broad and diverse coalition come together to support our important work to speak to voters who will decide this election,” campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said in a statement. “Kamala Harris has a foundation behind her, and Donald Trump is scared because she knows her divisive, unpopular agenda will not stand up to the vice president’s record and vision for the American people.”
A senior aide to Future Forward, the main super PAC that supported Biden’s campaign, said Monday that the group has received $150 million in commitments from donors who were previously undecided or uncommitted to their efforts. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity to share fundraising numbers that are not yet public.
“This campaign has to be big and very bold,” said former South Carolina state representative Bacary Sellers, one of the leaders of Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign. “We don’t need any warnings that have somewhat paralyzed 2020, so I think she’s going to do that.”
Sellers said Harris, who struggled with a message during the 2020 campaign, is a clear contrast to running against Trump.
“Prosecutor vs. criminal,” he said. “A hero for reproductive rights against someone who overruled three Supreme Court justices Ro. Someone who represents the country’s future against the oldest candidate in American political history. My question is, can an 80 year old do this job?
Harris previewed what his new message will look like when he spoke to his campaign staff. He drew comparisons to Trump’s legal challenges as a lawyer, describing his work to hold individuals accountable for sexual abuse, fraud and embezzlement.
“In those roles, I took on all kinds of criminals,” he laughs, pausing for nearly 20 seconds as the staff cheers. “Robbers who abuse women. Fraudsters who cheated consumers. Cheaters who break the rules for their own gain. So listen when I say I know Donald Trump’s type. In this campaign, I will proudly and proudly put my record against him.
Before Harris spoke, Biden called the meeting from Rehoboth Beach, Del., where he has been in isolation since contracting the coronavirus last week. The president touted the number of offices his campaign had opened and the number of staff it had hired, vowing to “work like hell” to campaign for Harris.
“We are still fighting this fight together,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere. I want you to know… you’ve always had my back. I promise you, I will always be behind you.
On Sunday, Harris spent more than 10 hours on the phone at the vice president’s residence, working to drum up support among Democratic leaders for his effort. Within 24 hours of Biden dropping out of the race, Harris had largely united elected officials and other key party leaders behind his bid, and most Democrats who had considered challenging him for the nomination said they would support him. No elected officials have indicated they will jump into the race against Harris.
The Democratic National Committee will continue its fundraising relationships with the Harris Action Fund and the Harris Victory Fund, which will raise money for the party and Harris’ campaign. Recent FEC filings. The fundraising groups, which have $63 million in cash on hand, have previously been named to Biden and raised money for his re-election bid.
Before Biden left, Harris had scheduled campaign trips this week. On Tuesday, she will travel to Milwaukee for a political event, then on Wednesday, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. in Indianapolis. He is scheduled to address the In Grand Boule. He is expected to appear at a political fundraiser in the Berkshires on Saturday. Harris expects to keep that schedule in the coming days, officials said.
“In the days and weeks ahead, I will work with you to do everything I can to unite our Democratic Party, unite our nation, and win this election,” Harris said.
Michael Scherer and Clara Enz Morse contributed to this report.
