Kamala Harris concedes, as Bernie Sanders urges Democrats to reconnect with working class

Bernie Sanders says Democrats must reconnect with workers instead of defending the status quo, after Kamala Harris promised not to concede the fight that ‘fuelled’ her failed White House bid.

Vice-President Kamala Harris delivers a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election. Picture: AP

Kamala Harris has drawn criticism for doubling down on the substance of her failed bid to win the White House, telling supporters she would not “concede the fight that fuelled this campaign” – as concerns mounted over whether the Democrats had abandoned American workers.

Speaking at Howard University in Washington, the Vice-President told her supporters that “we must accept the results of this election” and vowed that the Democrats would “engage in a peaceful transition of power”.

But Ms Harris also provided a strong defence of her presidential campaign, despite failing to flip a single county across the nation, pledging to never “give up the fight for a future where Americans pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspirations”.

“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign,” she said.

“I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time. But for the benefit of us all, I hope that it’s not the case,” she said. “But, America, if it is: let us fill the sky with the light of a billion brilliant stars.”

The address fell flat with some who were hoping for a more substantive message, with 83-year-old independent senator Bernie Sanders issuing a damning statement on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT).

Mr Sanders, who was a key candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, said it “should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned ­working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them”.

“First, it was the white working class. And now it is Latino and black workers as well,” he said.

“While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change.”

US Senator Bernie Sanders. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Sanders said 60 per cent of workers were living pay cheque to pay cheque and that many young people had a worse standard of living than their parents, declaring that “some very serious political discussions” were needed in coming weeks.

Others also called for change, with Democratic congressman for California Ro Khanna saying that “there needs to be new thinking, new ideas and a new direction”.

Democratic representative for Michigan Shri Thanedar said the party focused on Donald Trump’s character and legal problems when “for the large part, the people who are economically suffering, who feel that they are worse off economically, did not pay much attention to his character”.

In a decisive election result, Mr Trump swept the key swing states – despite the Democrats winning the Senate contests in Michigan and Wisconsin – and he is the first Republican candidate in 20 years to win the popular vote.

The former president also won support from Democratic constituencies and flipped more than 50 counties. About 90 per cent of the nearly 3200 counties across the nation shifted some way to the right – including in black and Latino communities that failed to turn out for Ms Harris as expected.

Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz. Picture: AFP

In a statement, former president Barack Obama said it was “not the outcome we had hoped for” but did not offer a view on whether there was a message for the Democrats in the comprehensive defeat.

There was also a sense of anger within the Democratic Party toward Joe Biden for hanging on too long before pulling out of the presidential race, handicapping the Democrats’ chances and saddling Ms Harris with the extraordinary political challenge of taking on Mr Trump without being blooded in a primary contest.

Former Australian ambassador to Washington Arthur Sinodinos said Ms Harris “came with a lot of baggage”.

“She didn’t really put forward a vision of how she would take things forward over the next four years and did not seem to be able to craft an appeal to middle class and working class voters,” he said.

“This is reflected in the numbers that Trump got among Latino and Afro-American men.

“In the end she didn’t cut through and clearly define herself in the public mind and it was not enough to say I am anti-Trump. There was a real issue about what she stood for herself.”

Mr Sinodinos, the chair of The Asia Group’s Australian practice, said some Democrats could “go into a funk for a while” but their energy would build up leading into the 2026 midterms. He also said there was no guarantee Ms Harris would be the standard bearer for the Democrats in four years time.