Secret poll ranked Harris last

Former Democratic fundraiser Lindy Li claims internal polling showed Kamala Harris ranked dead last among potential Biden replacements, far behind Pete Buttigieg, Gavin Newsom, and Gretchen Whitmer.

“Kamala Harris came in dead last. It wasn't even close.”

Party ignored polling data

Li says the polling numbers contradicted the narrative Democrats wanted to tell. The data was closely guarded among top party operatives and fundraisers but circulated within the National Finance Committee.

“The polling numbers went directly against the narrative that the party wanted to espouse.”

Fear of alienating Black voters

Li says party leaders feared that bypassing Harris would be a slap in the face to Black women, a bedrock Democratic constituency, so they felt compelled to nominate her despite the polling.

“They knew that skipping over Kamala Harris would be a slap in the face to the bedrock of the party, which is Black women in particular.”

Harris supporters intimidated party

Li claims Harris positioned herself as the inevitable choice by leveraging devoted supporters online. She says the K-Hive, Harris' fan base, was small but toxic and coordinated, making party leaders fear being labeled racist.

“People were terrified of the online mob. The K-Hive isn't that numerous, but they're very, very toxic and they're very coordinated.”

Li details strategy in new book

Li, who switched parties over concerns about Biden's decline, is chronicling the months before Biden's withdrawal in her book Unburdened. She worked closely with top donors and the Democratic National Committee as a major fundraiser.