WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris on July 22 made her first public appearance since President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid, praising Mr Biden’s record as “unmatched in modern history” as she began an effort to reintroduce herself to Americans on her own terms.

Speaking at an event honouring college athletes at the White House, Ms Harris talked about her friendship with Mr Biden’s son Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015, and commended the president’s “deep love of our country”.

But she wasted no time in starting to build her new profile as the presumptive nominee and the new hope among Democrats for defeating former President Donald Trump. Ms Harris raised US$81 million (S$109 million) in her first 24 hours as a presidential candidate, and began an effort to engage delegates and scooped up key endorsements.

In the 3.5 months until Election Day, Ms Harris still needs to define herself for the American people before Republicans do it for her. She also needs to quickly take over the campaign apparatus that Mr Biden had spent more than a year building.

After the event at the White House on July 22, Ms Harris traveled to Wilmington, Delaware, to say hello to staff members at what had been the Biden-Harris campaign headquarters.

“One day down,” Ms Harris said in a social media post on July 22. “105 to go. Together, we’re going to win this.”

Ms Harris spent more than 10 hours on the phone on July 21 at her residence to build support for her campaign, according to a person familiar with her schedule. She called more than 100 party leaders, members of Congress, governors and activists including labour leaders ...