Washington — The summit of the The Democratic ticket is up for grabs After President Biden has shaken up the political sphere announcing Sunday he abandons the 2024 race.
Shortly after the announcement, Mr. Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nominationas senior members of the Democratic National Committee held an emergency meeting Sunday night.
Even though Mr. Biden has endorsed Harris, Democrats will need to shore up their support for her, and there are a number of other potential contenders. None have publicly announced they are seeking the nomination, and one leading Democrat, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, has said, “My role in this election will remain the same.”
DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison said in a statement Sunday that “in the coming days, the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a nominee who can defeat Donald Trump in November. This process will be governed by the party’s established rules and procedures. Our delegates stand ready to take seriously their responsibility to swiftly present a nominee to the American people.”
Alan Clendenin, a member of the Florida DNC executive committee, told CBS News on Sunday that he expects a “supermajority” of delegates to rally around Harris in the coming days.
“It’s the delegates at the convention who put our candidate on the ballot,” Clendenin said. “If Biden were still on the ballot, that would be a procedure that would be followed.”
Here are the potential candidates for the Democratic nomination, and many of these lawmakers could be considered favorites to become vice president.
Vice President Kamala Harris
Harris, 59, would be the most natural choice, experts told CBS News. Not only is she the current vice president, she is also the first female vice president and the first vice president of color, and it would be hard for the Democratic Party to deny her other firsts.
“I think Harris would be the default option because she is vice president and the presumptive vice presidential nominee,” Derek Muller, a University of Notre Dame law professor who specializes in election law, said before news of Biden’s withdrawal.
That doesn’t mean Harris will automatically replace Mr. Biden. Harris is having an even harder time than Mr. Biden in the polls, especially in key states. And because she didn’t run in the 2024 primary, she has no more legal clout than any other Democrat.
Harris released a statement Sunday night saying she was “honored” to have Mr. Biden’s support and that her “intention is to win and win this nomination.”
“Over the past year, I have traveled the country to tell Americans about the clear choice before them in this momentous election,” Harris said. “And that’s what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom
Newsom’s presidential ambitions have been a subject of curiosity for years, as the governor of the nation’s most populous state has sought to establish himself nationally and often positioned himself as the party’s liberal fighter. Newsom, 56, faced Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a debate in December, when DeSantis was still seeking the Republican nomination, in a matchup billed as a proxy debate over two visions for the country.
But ahead of the 2024 race, Newsom has repeatedly indicated that he has “less than zero” interest in entering the race. That could change if Mr. Biden chooses to leave the race. But California’s liberal policies could prevent Newsom from garnering broad support in a general election.
After Mr. Biden’s announcement, Newsom posted a statement on social media praising Mr. Biden’s leadership and calling him a “historic president.”
“He will go down in history as one of the most influential and selfless presidents,” Newsom said.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Whitmer’s name has been widely floated as a possible replacement since the presidential debate. The 52-year-old won reelection by a double-digit margin in the swing state in 2022, helping secure a Democratic trifecta in the state, and has since become a prominent voice in the party. Whitmer has focused her reelection efforts on reproductive rights and pushed Biden to lean toward equality. more strongly in the subject this year.
After Biden’s announcement, Whitmer posted on social media that “my job in this election will remain the same: to do everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump, a convicted felon whose agenda of raising costs for families, banning abortion nationwide and abusing the power of the White House to settle his own scores is completely wrong for Michigan.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker
Pritzker, 59, is seen as a rising star within the party, becoming a strong voice on issues such as gun control and reproductive rights. With his deep pockets, Pritzker’s ability to self-finance a last-minute campaign could make him an attractive choice for the party. But like Newsom, his liberal policies in the deeply blue state could hamper his ability to connect with voters in the general election.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear
Beshear, 46, enjoys rare popularity as a Democrat in a Republican state. The son of former Gov. Steve Beshear, he overcame GOP dominance in the state last year to win reelection. He has managed to distance himself from mainstream Democrats, building his own political brand that could make him more favorable than other members of the party in a general election.
Beshear said after the debate that he would continue to support the president “as long as he’s in the race.”
Maryland Governor Wes Moore
Moore is another rising star in the party. And his national profile has grown in recent months as he led Maryland’s response to the Baltimore bridge collapse. The 45-year-old, who is the nation’s youngest Democratic governor and its only black governor, has been a spokesman for the president’s re-election, campaigning across the country. And Moore said he would continue to support the president and ““Won’t do” They are seeking the Democratic nomination this year if the president drops out of the race.
But as every politician knows, a “no” does not always remain a “no”.
This is Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
Klobuchar also ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020 and would likely find a similar base of support to Mr. Biden. And while Klobuchar, 64, would be free of the age-related concerns that have plagued Mr. Biden, she has struggled to build energy around her candidacy in recent elections.
Klobuchar, who ran against Biden and Harris in the 2020 primaries, told CBS News she supports Harris for the 2024 nomination. “She’s an incredibly strong leader who will bring to this office and this campaign the revenue,” Klobuchar said. “She, along with President Biden, has helped our country through this pandemic, we’ve seen record job gains. She’s someone who knows the job, who knows her job. And I also know her as a good person.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg, 42, has already come under scrutiny on the national stage, after running for president in 2020.
The Indiana native has proven he can speak to both Democrats and Republicans, being one of the few Democratic lawmakers to appear on Fox News.
Buttigieg and her husband, Chasten, have twins who will be 3 in August.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro
Shapiro, 51, rose to prominence by defeating a far-right opponent in the state’s 2022 gubernatorial race, helping the party retain the governorship and becoming the first to succeed a member of his own party as governor in nearly six decades. Since then, the governor of this key swing state has navigated a divided government in the state legislature.
Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia
The 54-year-old Georgia senator and pastor won two close races in the Peach State, solidifying the Democratic majority in the Senate and becoming the party’s darling.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis
Polis, 49, has been Colorado governor since 2019 and is among the most popular figures in the country. He represented the state’s 2nd Congressional District for a decade and also served on the Colorado Board of Education.
He took over as chairman of the National Governors Association in July.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper
Cooper assumed the office of North Carolina’s 75th governor in 2017 and is currently serving his second term. He practiced law for nearly two decades and served in the state House and Senate before being elected attorney general in 2000.
Cooper, 67, served four terms as North Carolina’s top law enforcement officer.
Howard Dean, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told CNN he could see Cooper as Harris’ running mate if she becomes the party’s presidential nominee. Such a pairing could help Democrats win the Tar Heel state in November, he predicted.
