Explainer | Who could replace Joe Biden if he drops out of the 2024 US presidential election?
- VP Kamala Harris is an obvious choice, but other names floated include Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Pete Buttigieg – and Michelle Obama
With US President Joe Biden facing a grave political crisis after his debate debacle against Donald Trump, jittery Democrats are openly considering who could take over their campaign if he drops out – and the smart money is firmly on US Vice-President Kamala Harris.
The 81-year-old Biden, so far, has been defiant about staying in the race – a message he drove home at a campaign rally in Wisconsin and in an ABC interview on Friday. Biden said only the “Lord Almighty” telling him to do so would prompt him to leave the race.
But Democratic leaders, donors and pundits continue to question whether Biden can continue in the race. If Biden were to shift course and step down – Harris appears to hold most of the cards over a raft of potential Democratic candidates including California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The sitting veep would likely be the only one who could short-circuit a truncated nomination squabble that could turn the Democratic National Convention into a circular firing squad.
As the first black woman to serve as vice-president, Harris could make a powerful case that passing over her would be an unacceptable snub to the most loyal Democratic voters. Harris, 59, is also much more widely known than any of her potential rivals. Many believe she has the chops to successfully take the case to former president Donald Trump, who is widely despised and feared by Democratic voters.
“It’s like apples and oranges,” said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist.
Here’s a breakdown of the potential nominees.