If President Biden decides to withdraw from the November election for any reason, it opens the door for Democrats to dramatically change this race.
We are longtime members of the Democratic National Committee and have not met to debate whether President Biden should withdraw his candidacy. Rather, we are seeking to address the outstanding question of how we should best act as a party if President Biden declines presumptive nominee status.
Some of our colleagues are forbidden from discussing this issue. We disagree and argue that it is important that an alternative nomination process be made clear in advance, so that it can be debated, refined and implemented as necessary.
The core idea we want to promote is to create an open, transparent and empowering process.
Of course, this proposed plan can only be put into action if the President announces that he will not seek reelection, that he understands the need to defeat Donald Trump, and that he is confident there is a strong Democratic candidate who can defeat Trump and build on the great accomplishments of the Biden Administration.
He could also announce that he is asking the Democratic National Committee to define the way forward to ensure an orderly process.
It happens like this:
The Democratic National Committee’s Rules Committee could meet immediately to develop an abbreviated campaign schedule and procedures to be voted on virtually after deliberation by the full DNC and to select a new Democratic presidential nominee, a process that could take up to four days.
Once the plan is approved, the candidate certification process will begin: Each presidential candidate must win the endorsement of 40 sitting members of the roughly 450-strong DNC body, most of whom are elected in individual states and broadly represent the Democratic Party nationally.
The 40 must include at least seven people from each of the party’s four geographic regions, and the process is likely to result in fewer than five candidates given the number of members on the Democratic National Committee.
These nominating petitions must be submitted to the Secretary of the Democratic National Committee for certification within 10 days of the procedure being announced. The petitions must include a signed statement of commitment to a positive campaign and an agreement to support the winning candidate.
While certified candidates are free to campaign independently, the Democratic National Committee will host two televised town hall events over 10 days where certified candidates will come together to make their case to DNC delegates and the public.
The messages from these new young leaders, who oppose President Donald Trump, praise President Biden’s progress and explain why they are best positioned to continue his progress, will be powerful and will undoubtedly capture the attention of many television viewers.
The process culminates with the Democratic National Convention, where candidates are formally nominated and voted for by the 3,933 delegates selected in the first round and the 4,672 delegates who are automatically selected in subsequent rounds.
After a presidential candidate is selected, they are asked to choose a running mate who will be voted on at the party convention the following day.
Imagine President Biden giving his final convention speech, which will be the crowning moment of his long and distinguished career as a public servant.
With an open convention process now complete, Democrats across the country will be energized, more Americans than usual will view our party as a truly democratic party, and our final nominee will be seen as the rightful winner of an open, democratic process.
While some may be concerned about the timeline, these measures would take a total of 28 days, easily within the time remaining before the end of the Democratic National Convention.
Some have also questioned how the campaign transition will be handled. The transition of funds, campaign staff, and committees will almost certainly be worked out during the certification, town hall meetings, and nomination process (which will take 24 days). Field staff, vendors, and committees will likely be strongly motivated to continue.
If this happens, President Biden will have made all this possible. He will be seen as a true national leader who puts the preservation of democracy above all else, setting aside personal ambitions and allowing the Democratic Party to protect and further his legacy.
David Walters, who served as governor of Oklahoma from 1991 to 1995, joined the DNC’s Executive Committee in 2019 and served as co-chair of the Rules Committee at the 2008 Convention. James Zogby has served on the DNC’s Executive Committee for 16 years, including as chairman of the Resolutions Committee for 11 years.
