Joe Biden’s presidential campaign “set a single-day record for online political fundraising” and raised $26 million in the 24 hours after he chose Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as his running mate.

“I have no doubt that I picked the right person to join me as the next vice president of the United States of America, and that's Sen. Kamala Harris,” Biden said Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware. at the first public appearance with Harris since the announcement.

“Yesterday we had our best grassroots fundraising day of the campaign, more than double our previous record, and in doing so we set a single-day record for online political fundraising. I think I know why,” he added.

The ground-breaking total included 150,000 first-time donors, according to a campaign aide, as Harris’s candidacy energized and enthused voters to donate to the Biden-Harris historic ticket.

“It’s really palpable, the excitement,” Biden said at a virtual grassroots fundraiser.

President Donald Trump’s campaign has consistently held a financial upper-hand over the presumptive Democratic nominee, as the president’s team and the Republican National Committee rallied nearly $165 million last month compared to Biden’s total of $140 million.

At the peak of the Democratic primaries when Biden trailed behind his competitors and it was unclear who’d be granted the front-runner spot, Biden struggled to get donations from big donors and other Democratic voters.

But, as the presidential race tightens and Trump tanks in the polls, the on-hand cash margin between the two was almost tied as of last week.

Harris has been an active supporter of Biden’s presidency prior to being named vice president, as she’s brought in millions of dollars in donations through fundraisers and other virtual events.

Biden first announced Harris as his running mate Tuesday afternoon in the form of a text message to his supporters, followed by a series of tweets, dubbing her as “a fearless fighter for the little guy” and “one of the country’s finest public servants.” The hour after the vice president announcement, a campaign aide noted that it was the best hour of Biden’s fundraising in the history of his 2020 presidential run.

If elected, Harris will be the first woman and woman of color to be named vice president.

“We are in a battle for the soul of this nation. And if we're going to get through these crises — we need to come together and unite for a better America. @KamalaHarris gets that — and I believe there’s no better person to help me get the job done,” Biden tweeted Thursday morning.

Rachel Bucchino is a reporter at the National Interest. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The Hill.

Image: Reuters