US President Joe Biden has decided to drop out of the race for re-election after his disastrous performance in the presidential debate. CNN held last month, and his failure to convince his fellow Democrats that he can defeat former President Donald Trump.
Democrats now face an unprecedented challenge, with the traditional primary season long over.
On Sunday (21), Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrats’ presidential nominee, but he cannot automatically make her a candidate.
As we first wrote in February, individual delegates will now select their party’s nominee on the convention floor (or, potentially, during a virtual roll call).
These delegates are not only committed to voting for Biden; they are also endorsed by his campaign. So it will largely be Biden supporters who will choose his replacement.
What happens now that Biden has dropped out of the campaign?
Biden had not yet received his party’s official nomination at the Democratic National Convention. Thus, the procedure for choosing the new candidate follows the following procedure:
- Potential nominees must obtain signatures from hundreds of delegates and be recognized as candidates;
- Then, 3,949 individual delegates — nearly all former Biden delegates — and 747 superdelegates would be called to select the nominee. Candidates would campaign among the delegates for their votes;
- Superdelegates may or may not participate in the first round of voting. If no candidate obtains a majority, voting continues in rounds;
- When all delegates are involved, a majority of 2,349 of the total 4,696 delegate votes wins the nomination.
Who could replace Biden?
The President of the United States, in a post on Xendorsed Harris’ candidacy, in addition to calling for party unity. But there are other potential candidates who have previously argued that they could run a more effective campaign against Trump.
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to choose Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Would someone like California Gov. Gavin Newsom — who has offered Biden his unwavering support — challenge Harris at the convention? Deciding on a replacement could be divisive, and it would be up to delegates to decide, in a series of votes after frenzied lobbying, who to choose.
On the Democratic side, there is also another group to consider: the “superdelegates,” a group of about 700 senior party leaders and elected officials who are automatically delegates to the convention based on their position.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
