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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 5 december 2019
Harris exit points to hurdles facing minority candidates
Continued from Front
As Democratic voters of
all races almost singularly
obsess over who is seen as
best positioned to defeat
President Donald Trump
next year, candidates who
aren't white are largely
seen as not fitting the bill.
With less than two months
before voting begins, those
judgments — right or wrong
— are becoming fatal as
donors watch these cues to
decide when to pull back.
"It's the money, it's the sup- In this Nov. 8, 2019, file photo, then-Democratic presidential
candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., reacts as she speaks at
port, it's the polls. … It's an
assumption for black can-
didates that their cam-
paigns are long shots," said of CollectivePAC, an or- "We're left to wonder why
Quentin James, the found- ganization aimed at build-
er and executive director ing black political power. still impacts how much
money they can raise or in October. He has since
how much support they returned to active cam-
get from institutional Dem- paigning.
ocratic donors." Former Vice President Joe
Of course, Barack Obama, Biden is legendarily gaffe-
the first black president, is prone and also faces ques-
one of the most successful tions about whether, at 77,
Democratic fundraisers, still he's too old to manage
collecting millions of dollars the demands of the presi-
for the party nearly three dency. But he's raised $37.7
years after he left the White million, topping Harris even
House. And plenty of white though he launched his
candidates have had campaign more than two
money problems this year. months after she did.
John Hickenlooper, the This is not just about Har-
former governor of Colora- ris. New Jersey Sen. Cory
do, couldn't raise enough Booker has struggled to
a town hall event at the Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas. money for his presidential raise money. In September,
Associated Press bid and chose to run for the he pleaded with support-
U.S. Senate instead. Sen. ers to donate $1.7 million in
Kirsten Gillibrand of New 10 days to keep him in the
is it that a candidate's race York is a powerhouse fun- race. On the debate stage
draiser in her home state last month, he turned his
but couldn't translate that closing statement into an-
success to her presidential other pitch for cash, raising
campaign and dropped over $500,000 in nine hours.
out in August. Montana Although he has met the
Gov. Steve Bullock ended fundraising threshold for
his campaign this week, this month's debate, low
also bemoaning money polling numbers may keep
trouble. him off the stage for the first
But other white candidates time.
have had success that "People assume he's go-
women and candidates of ing to be in this all the way
color have said isn't avail- because he's credentialed
able to them. Harris, for in- and such a serious can-
stance, is the highest-rank- didate," said Jenna Lo-
ing black woman in the U.S. wenstein, Booker's deputy
government. But the $35.5 campaign manager. "We
million she raised during her saw it coming, that this was
campaign falls far short of going to narrow this way,
the $51.5 million that Pete that it was going to be be-
Buttigieg, the 37-year-old cause of money. We've re-
white mayor of South Bend, ally been looking for every
Indiana, has collected. opportunity when eyeballs
Other white candidates are on us to make direct
with big questions about appeals because every
their electability have also time we do it, it works."
hauled in substantial sums Former Housing and Urban
of money. Vermont Sen. Development Secretary
Bernie Sanders has raised Julián Castro — a Latino
$61 million — more than whose successful 10-day,
any of his rivals — despite $800,000 fundraising push
debate over whether his in October brought his
policies are too liberal. campaign back from the
Concerns over the 78-year- brink — may miss the de-
old's candidacy also grew bate stage for the second
after he had a heart attack time in a row.q