Vice President Kamala Harris’s bid for the White House reportedly ended with over $20 million in debt, a figure that has raised eyebrows across the political spectrum. Politico California bureau chief Christopher Cadelago first broke the news on X (formerly Twitter), citing sources familiar with the campaign’s finances.
“Kamala Harris’s campaign ended with at least $20 million in debt, per two sources familiar. Harris raised over $1 billion and had $118 million in the bank as of Oct. 16,” Cadelago posted.
Shortly afterward, Breitbart’s Matthew Boyle confirmed the report, sharing that a Harris campaign staffer called the situation a “massive scandal” and hinted at the need for an audit. According to Boyle, the staffer attributed much of the campaign’s debt to decisions made by campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon, who allegedly directed funds toward high-profile concerts featuring artists like Katy Perry, Lizzo, Eminem, and Bruce Springsteen. This spending reportedly came at the expense of campaign priorities, such as social media outreach and other key voter engagement efforts.
Harris’s campaign lasted just 107 days after she replaced 81-year-old President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee. The campaign’s substantial spending over such a brief period contrasts starkly with Harris’s significant media coverage advantage, which was overwhelmingly positive compared to President-elect Donald Trump’s.
A Media Research Center (MRC) study revealed that Harris enjoyed 78% positive press coverage compared to Trump’s 15%, giving her a media advantage valued at an estimated $3 billion in earned coverage, according to The National Pulse. Despite this favorable media environment and a billion-dollar campaign budget, Harris struggled to connect with voters, raising questions about the campaign’s overall strategy and expenditure choices.
The 2024 race has gone down in history as the most expensive presidential election, with both Harris and Trump’s campaigns setting new spending records. For comparison, the 2012 election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney saw both candidates surpass $1 billion in campaign funding.
As the campaign finance figures continue to emerge, the Harris campaign’s debt and spending priorities are likely to face scrutiny, with questions arising about whether this level of spending was justified or if the funds could have been allocated more effectively to secure voter support.
