Rep. James Clyburn of Colorado said he supports the idea of a “mini-primary” for Democrats to choose a new candidate if President Biden decides to halt his campaign amid growing voter concerns.
Clyburn discussed with CNN’s Erica Hill on Wednesday what would happen if Biden chooses to step down. Hill asked Clyburn, a key Biden ally, whether the party should automatically hand the nomination to Vice President Harris or hold some kind of primary campaign ahead of the party’s convention in August.
“We’re going to have a mini-primary leading up to the convention,” the South Carolina representative said, noting that a virtual roll call must be held by Aug. 7 for candidates to appear on the Ohio ballot. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to begin Aug. 19 in Chicago.
“You could actually rearrange the process that’s already in place to make it into a mini-primary, and I absolutely support that,” Clyburn said.
He argued that if Biden leaves office, Democrats should “keep everything open” for other candidates within the party to seek the White House.
After Biden’s lackluster debate performance, Clyburn said he supports Harris taking over as the nominee because he has always supported the Biden-Harris pairing.
He argued Wednesday that “Harris will do very well in a small primary,” but said the process would be “fair to everyone,” including “all the other governors who might be interested.”
If Harris wins the nomination, she will need a strong running mate, he added.
Clyburn said the primary election will be “a good opportunity to determine not only who would be the best candidate for the top spot, but who would be the best candidate for No. 2.”
Clyburn, a member of House Democratic leadership for more than two decades, had been a longtime close ally of Biden, whose endorsement of Biden ahead of the 2020 South Carolina primary marked a turning point in Biden’s path to the White House.
