- Biden has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
- Harris now has a grip on the Biden camp’s base and is rapidly solidifying her support.
- Democratic delegates are expected to formally select a new candidate in August.
Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he was withdrawing from the presidential race.
In the letter released Sunday, the president said he believes it is “in the best interests of the party and the country that I step down.” He plans to serve out his term and will speak in more detail about his decision later this week.
His decision, which came after weeks of mounting pressure from party members, plunges the Democratic Party into uncharted territory: A major party has never before selected a new candidate so close to a general election.
Biden quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor, calling his selection of her as his running mate in the 2020 presidential election “the best decision I ever made.”
While another Democratic candidate could theoretically challenge him, that seems unlikely because as of Tuesday, Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate had already endorsed the vice president.
Harris is likely to be the nominee, but in theory there could be an “open convention.”
In many ways, Kamala Harris seems like the safest choice: She’s already been vice president for three and a half years, is well known, and, perhaps most importantly, could easily inherit the infrastructure and financial resources that the Biden campaign has spent months building.
But some Democrats, skeptical that Harris could beat former President Donald Trump, had called for a “mini-primary” in which candidates could make their case before the open convention.
Sen. Joe Manchin, an independent from West Virginia who allies with Democrats, called on Biden to step down on Sunday and called for an “open process” to select a new nominee. Former President Barack Obama also supports an open process.
In this scenario, a number of candidates would win the hearts and minds of delegates within a few weeks, who would then be free to vote for the candidate of their choice.
There is a lot of disagreement about this approach. Some believe it could energize the party, while others worry it could be divisive. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a strong Biden ally, called the idea “madness.”
Either way, that seems unlikely to happen, as all of Harris’s main rivals had begun endorsing her by Monday afternoon.
The Democratic National Committee had planned to hold a virtual roll call to select its nominees in early August ahead of the party’s official convention, which will be held from August 19 to 22 in Chicago, Illinois.
The party’s rules committee will meet on Wednesday to “implement a new candidate selection framework that is open, transparent, fair and orderly,” according to a notice seen by Business Insider.
Republicans will continue to attack Democrats over Biden
One thing is certain: even if Biden drops out of the race, Republicans will likely use him to attack Democrats.
After all, he remains president and his decision to resign raises legitimate questions about his ability to perform his duties at this point.
Republicans are also likely to accuse Democrats of “covering” for Biden in the months before his disastrous debate performances — a claim that many have already made in the weeks since.
Democrats who have called for Biden to step down have often argued that the two issues are separate: They believe Biden can serve out the remainder of his term, but don’t believe he can win.
Shortly after Biden announced his decision to pull out on Sunday, a string of Republican politicians, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, called on Biden to step down immediately.
“If Joe Biden is unfit to run for president, then he is unfit to serve as president,” Johnson said. “He must resign immediately. The sooner November 5th comes, the better.”
Kamala Harris’ vice presidential run is now the biggest issue in town.
With Harris almost certain to be the nominee, the last big question remaining is who will be her running mate.
Several names have been floated as possible candidates, mostly governors Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Roy Cooper of North Carolina, with Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona also said to be in the running.
One of the candidates, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, withdrew from the race on Monday.
Beshear, meanwhile, appeared to be giving his all in his audition for the vice presidential spot, criticizing Trump’s new running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, and previewing a future vice presidential debate.
