The Democratic National Committee is planning to move forward with President Biden’s White House nominee despite calls from Democratic caucuses for a new candidate.
President Biden is set to officially be nominated as the party’s nominee in early voting that will take place between August 1 and August 7. The Democratic National Committee’s Rules Committee approved it on Friday, according to CBS News.
“Thanks to all of you, we were able to re-nominate President Biden and his Vice President. [Kamala] “We applaud Harris,” said Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison, an ardent supporter of the Biden-Harris nomination.
Biden is all but certain to win the scheduled votes. To win the Democratic presidential nomination, a candidate must secure a majority of the nominating delegates, or more than 1,900, on the first ballot.
The incumbent candidate, who won this year’s Democratic presidential primary without a viable challenger, has secured about 3,900 delegates.
Asked whether another candidate could challenge Biden, Democratic National Committee co-chair Leah Daughtry said “any challenger would have to win the support of hundreds of delegates.” The BBC reported.
Harrison’s strong support comes as Democratic leaders are publicly calling for Biden to drop out of the race.
Behind the scenes, party heavyweights including former President Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York have reportedly advised the 81-year-old Biden to step down, a move that Biden has grown increasingly exasperated about.
“Can we just take a moment to remember that the people who are trying to get rid of Joe Biden are the same people who literally brought us all Donald Trump?” Sources close to Biden complain to NBC News.
Biden is recovering from a third bout of coronavirus at his Delaware beach house but has vowed to continue campaigning as usual and has announced his plans for next week’s rally.
