US Presidential Election: Harris has Pacific at heart - expert

US Vice President Kamala Harris does care about the Pacific region, a political analyst says as the Democratic Party hopeful embarks on her campaign for the November election.

Harris, 59, is set to take over the Democrats' ticket from President Jo Biden who bowed out of the race for the White House with Republican Donald Trump.

Democratic political commentator Mary Anne Marsh says Harris' support for the Pacific is evident following her virtual address to the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit in Fiji in 2022.

Marsh is also a principal at Dewey Square Group in Boston where she provides strategic counsel for Fortune 100 companies, non-profits, and political campaigns.

She told Pacific Mornings' William Terite that if Harris wins the election, she will continue Biden's foreign policy but with a touch of her flair.

“I think she will largely stick with the Biden policies, both economic and foreign, domestic and otherwise, but I think she is going to add her thoughts in," Marsh said.

The race to the Oval Office took a major turn last week when Biden dropped out of the Democrats' primary vote, tapping his running mate Harris for President.

Harris’ campaign is gaining major traction with supporters this week securing 1.4 million donors, and 100,000 volunteers, Marsh said.

The Harris campaign has raised more than US$300 million (NZ$507m) since Biden's announcement on 20 July.

Marsh said Harris has had a huge influx of support since the announcement.

“She has had over 1.4 million donors…2000 people have applied to work for her, 100,000 people have volunteered, and that's just since Sunday.”

Harris is ready to go “toe-to-toe” with former president Trump, Marsh said, citing the Vice President's time as a district attorney.

“She took on people, took them to court, and if they broke the law, she put them in jail.”

Marsh also alluded to Harris' address to the Pacific leaders via a video conference at the Suva summit to announce Washington's commitment to investment in the region.

Kamala Harris addresses the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit in Suva in July 2022. Photo/supplied

“You can see her bringing more appeal, and she is a woman with mixed heritage, bringing a different experience to life in the world.”

Speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday, Biden framed his decision to withdraw from the presidential race as being for the good of the country, although he did not elaborate on what finally made him change his mind.

But the President did say that America was at an “inflection point”, and he urged the voters to defend democracy saying it was time to “pass the torch” to the younger voices.

While Trump was mentioned a lot in his speech but not referenced by name, the Republican candidate attacked Biden and Harris at his campaign rally in North Carolina.

Marsh has warned that if Trump won, he would withdraw US military forces from Ukraine, and this would lead to China setting its sights on New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

“If he pulls out of Ukraine and hands it over to Vladimir Putin, Putin now starts to march to the east… and Xi Jinping will do the same except he will head south.”

The 2024 US Presidential election will be the 60th quadrennial vote and is set for Tuesday 5 November.

Voters in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia will choose a slate of electors to the US Electoral College, who will then elect a President and Vice President for a term of four years.

If Harris wins the election, she will become the first female president of the United States.