On July 21st, President Biden of the United States announced his sudden withdrawal from seeking re-election, causing a significant political earthquake and uncertainties for both the Democratic Party and the upcoming November election. The Democratic Party now faces the challenge of unprecedented changes in a short period to deal with this new situation. What will happen next?
After announcing his decision to withdraw, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) scheduled for August 19th to 22nd in Chicago was originally set to officially confirm Biden as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. However, even with Biden’s support for Harris, there are unresolved issues regarding whether Harris can smoothly become the new standard-bearer for the Democratic Party at the DNC convention.
Earlier this year, Biden won the Democratic primaries and caucuses in almost all states, with the exception of losing support in the American Samoa territory, securing at least 3,896 pledged delegates to support his nomination as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate.
Current party rules do not allow Biden to transfer his delegates to another candidate. However, politically, Biden’s endorsement of Harris may lead to such a scenario.
Biden’s campaign team recently reported having $91 million in cash on hand. Combined with the Democratic Party’s funds, Biden has access to a total of over $240 million. Campaign finance experts believe that Harris could control all these funds since the Democratic campaign was established in both her and Biden’s names.
If someone other than Harris is nominated at the DNC convention, the party accounts may still benefit the new nominee, but there could be restrictions on the Biden-Harris account. Legal experts state that the Biden-Harris account could be converted into an independent expenditure political action committee, but its funds cannot be simply transferred to another nominee.
With Biden’s withdrawal, the DNC convention technically becomes a new public arena for competition.
Even before Biden announced his decision to withdraw, potential alternatives for him included California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. However, many Democrats publicly or privately assert that having Harris as the first female, first woman of color, and first South Asian presidential candidate is the natural choice.
Given the significance of Black voters, especially Black women, to the Democratic electorate, it could be risky for the party to abandon Harris and choose a white presidential nominee, as both Newsom and Whitmer are white. The Democratic Party needs to weigh short-term gains against long-term interests.
The best scenario for Harris and the Democratic Party would be to swiftly garner unified support around her candidacy. Harris’s immediate challenge is to solidify the support of nearly 4,000 delegates from states, territories, and the District of Columbia, as well as over 700 superdelegates, including party leaders, certain elected officials, former presidents, and vice presidents.
The nomination of a vice president is a separate voting process. Conventionally, the DNC convention approves the vice-presidential pick of the presidential nominee. If Harris can unite the Democratic Party quickly, she can present her own vice-presidential choice and get it approved at the convention. However, the selection of a new vice president may become an opportunity for bargaining among different factions within the party, potentially leading to prolonged negotiations.
The “Hill” reported that Biden has encouraged Democrats to rally around Harris, who is now searching for her running mate for the vice-presidential campaign, but some Democrats remain hesitant.
The first Democratic House member to call for Biden’s withdrawal, Lloyd Doggett, believes that the party should keep an open mind to anyone stepping forward to run for president.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a statement on Sunday praised Biden’s decision to withdraw but notably did not endorse Harris as his replacement.
DNC Chairman Jamie Harrison stated on Sunday that Democrats would continue the selection of a presidential nominee in the coming week, without specifically mentioning Harris.
Harrison said, “In the coming days, our party will follow a transparent and orderly process, moving forward as a united Democratic Party to put forth a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November. This process will be guided by the party’s established rules and procedures. Our delegates are prepared to responsibly and swiftly present a candidate to the American people.”
He added, “Soon, the American people will hear from the Democratic Party about the next steps and the path forward in the nomination process.”
Harris, a Black and Asian American woman, made history as the first female vice president. Many Democrats hope she becomes the first female president and the first woman of color president. At 59 years old, she is significantly younger than the 81-year-old Biden and 78-year-old Trump.
Biden has a clear motive to support Harris, as her presidency succeeding his vice presidency could benefit his political legacy.
However, Biden faces pressure from Democratic Party leaders, including former President Obama and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In recent weeks, the Biden team has reminded the political sphere that both Biden and Harris’ governance is often underestimated.
Republican attendees at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee from July 15th to 18th expressed confidence in defeating any Democratic presidential candidate, but preferred facing Biden, whom they see as a weaker opponent.
Some Republicans have suggested that if the Democratic Party attempts to force Biden’s withdrawal, they may pursue legal challenges, as they view removing him after winning millions of Democratic primary votes as undemocratic, even as a “coup.”
Others argue that if Biden cannot run for re-election, he should not continue in the presidency, indicating his inability to carry out the job effectively.
Biden is expected to address the nation within the next week, outlining his decision to withdraw, marking the end of his 50-year political career.
In a brief statement on Sunday, Biden said, “Serving as your president has been the greatest honor of my life. While I had planned to seek re-election, I believe stepping aside and focusing on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term is in the best interest of my party and the nation.”