The loss of Vice President Kamala Harris to President-elect Donald Trump leaves the Democratic Party in an awkward position without a clear leader for months to come.
When President Biden and Harris leave office in January, Democrats will be left without a billboard and an opportunity for some of the party's top figures to fill the void.
The most likely candidates are:
Chuck Schumer
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer could play a key role in guiding Democrats over the next four years. He has led Democrats in the Senate for decades and is the most senior Democrat left in the branch after Speaker Nancy Pelosi steps down from Congressional leadership.
But now they will have to contend again with the Republican majority in the Senate.
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The loss of Vice President Kamala Harris leaves the Democratic Party without a clear leader. (AP/Jacqueline Martin)
Hakeem Jeffries
House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York has proposed a younger alternative to Schumer as Pelosi's successor in the House. Jeffries is certain to play a central role in Democratic efforts to thwart the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans over the next four years.
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gavin newsome
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is widely considered to have national ambitions, and the void left by Biden and Harris could be the opportunity he has been looking for. Newsom has loudly ruled out opposing Biden's re-election campaign at the beginning of the 2024 cycle and is already taking steps to position himself as the pre-eminent leader against Trump. .
Josh Shapiro
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro may also position himself as a Democratic leader. Although she was dropped as a running mate by Harris, she was spared the political fallout from her defeat, which also disqualified Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Mr. Shapiro has an approval rating of over 60% in Pennsylvania, perhaps the most important state in the presidential race.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro watches as President Joe Biden speaks after a briefing on emergency repair and reconstruction efforts on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Julia Nickinson/AFP via Getty Images)
pete buttigieg
“Mayor Pete” has played a relatively modest role as transportation secretary under the Biden administration, but the departure of Biden and Harris could give him another chance to make a surprising rise within the Democratic Party.
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Buttigieg's performance in the 2019 Democratic primary secured him a position at the top of the party, but it remains unclear what role he will play after the end of the Biden administration.
