The chairman of the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago insisted that the DNC’s mission “remains the same” even after President Joe Biden’s abrupt withdrawal from the already turbulent battle for the White House.
Calling Biden “a public servant who has dedicated his life to serving the American people,” Speaker Minyon Moore praised the president for bringing “our country back from the brink” during his first term and for his “steadfast leadership.”
“He led with moral clarity and an unwavering commitment to bipartisanship, and his goodness transcended politics,” the president said. “He was a husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle who was unwavering in his love, support, and optimism even in the face of immense challenges.”
With Biden’s withdrawal from the race, much of the attention has turned to the DNC, which will take place August 19-22 at the United Center.
Biden also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee, thrusting her into the spotlight just over three months before the 2024 election.
The decision as to whether Harris will be selected as the nominee, and who will take the spot next to her on the ticket as her running mate, will be made official at that event in what will undoubtedly be one of the most closely watched conventions in recent memory.
While Biden’s withdrawal certainly brings uncertainty, the DNC chairman said the party “will rally behind our Democratic candidates for president and vice president of the United States and work to defeat Donald Trump once again.”
“Here in Chicago, our mission remains the same,” Moore said. “During the convention, we will have the opportunity to show the country and the world who Democrats are and what we stand for. Over the past year, we have laid the groundwork — literally and figuratively — for President Biden, Vice President Harris and Democrats to tell our story to the American people. The historic progress Democrats have made under the Biden-Harris administration will remain at the heart of that story, as will the story of what was at stake in this election.”
Biden’s decision to endorse Harris is not binding, as Democratic Party rules do not allow him to simply choose a successor as nominee when delegates meet in Chicago. According to NBC News, Biden won 3,900 delegates in the Democratic primary. Biden would have to release those delegates to allow the nomination process to proceed.
“The first thing is that President Biden should release his delegates. They’re tied up in the first round no matter what, and that’s pretty much it, the 4,000 delegates are Biden delegates — they’re tied up in the first round. The only way that would work is for the Rules Committee, which the Biden campaign controls, or the president himself, to release those delegates,” Pete Giangreco, a Democratic strategist, told NBC Chicago. “The next step in the process is then for anyone who wants to put their name down, you need 300 of those delegates, out of those 4,000, and then you start the process. The most likely person to get 300 signatures would be Vice President Harris.”
