Democrats all but selected Vice President Kamala Harris as their pick to replace President Biden on Monday, despite indications that she may fare worse than Biden in November’s election against former President Donald Trump.
The 81-year-old president withdrew from the 2024 presidential race on Sunday amid growing concerns about his mental health.
“For the next 106 days, we are going to reach out to the American people and we are going to win,” Harris, 59, said during a triumphant visit to her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.
“I’m going to win this nomination, and I’m going to win, and so in the days and weeks ahead, I’ll be working with you to unite the Democratic Party, unite the country and do everything in our power to win this election,” the vice president said after introducing on speakerphone a slurred and raspy Biden, who has not appeared in public since testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday and cancelling campaign events.
Go to top of ticket
Democrats had expressed concern about her likability and her performance as vice president in the weeks before Biden’s abrupt decision to withdraw, but without an opponent, her path to the nomination moved quickly.
At least 2,214 Democratic National Convention delegates have indicated their support for Harris, enough to secure the nomination on the first ballot, according to an Associated Press poll conducted on Monday ahead of an expected decision on online voting for the Democratic nomination.
Hours after Biden announced he would not run for a second term, key challengers, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California Governor Gavin Newsom, lined up to kiss Biden’s hand on Sunday night.
Key lawmakers who initially opposed the bill, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, also expressed support for reversing course on Monday.
Notably, Harris has not yet been endorsed by former President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
But they also refrained from criticizing her directly or through undeniable leaks to the press, as was done with Biden.
Increased military spending
A source told The Washington Post that it would be “impossible” for anyone other than Harris to win the nomination given that a decision must be made in just a few weeks, adding that it would be “suicidal” to attempt a challenge now that President Biden has named Harris as his successor.
Meanwhile, Harris’ campaign coffers have been flooded with money, with roughly $231 million flowing into her campaign and her super PAC, Future Forward, in the 24 hours after Biden dropped out of the race.
Trump, 78, was quick to try to define Harris, telling The Washington Post, “There are two words that describe Kamala Harris: cruel and stupid. A bad combination.”
Democrats have less than a week to decide whether to hold a virtual vote to nominate Harris in time for Ohio’s Aug. 7 voting deadline.
Even if Harris wins this vote, Democrats could replace her at their convention in Chicago from Aug. 19-22 if an insurrection occurs.
As of late Friday, the Democratic National Committee’s rules committee was moving forward with plans to hold a virtual roll call in the first week of August to avoid legal challenges from Republicans over the state’s votes.
The rules committee is next scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss the matter, but a final decision won’t be made until Friday.
During a Rules Committee call on Friday before Biden’s withdrawal, former White House counsel Dana Remus, who advises the Democratic National Committee on legal issues, argued that a virtual roll call would be best to avoid lawsuits from Republicans.
“What is the risk? Well, it’s hard to say,” Remus told Politico on a conference call. “Of course people are against it, and rightly so. But it’s a risk, and if it can be avoided, it should be avoided.”
One member of the committee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he doubted a roll call would take place once Biden leaves office.
“It would be difficult to move forward” with a virtual roll call vote on suspending Biden, the congressman said, as reported by Politico. “We would have to essentially have an open caucus.”
But since Biden dropped out, big donors have been quietly advising the party’s top hopefuls, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Whitmer and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, to conserve their ammunition to help Harris win the Democratic nomination.
While support has swiftly rallied around Ms. Harris, many prominent Democrats have previously criticized her, suggesting an undercurrent of unease.
“She would have laughed her head off all the way to the Oval Office if she could,” a prominent Democratic insider told The Post after Biden’s disastrous performance in the June 27 debate.
