Election 2024: Democrats promise ‘regular process’ to replace Biden, but questions remain

WASHINGTON (AP) — After some time for the president Joe Biden announced that Abandon his re-election campaignDemocratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison released a message: There will be no automatic coronation for his replacement.

“In the coming days, the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process moving forward,” Harrison said in a statement. “This process will be governed by the established rules and procedures of the party. Our representatives are willing to take seriously their responsibility to quickly provide a candidate for the American people.

This view reflected the reality during the vice presidency Kamala Harris It’s not that simple, as Biden and many other Democrats already support him — emerging as a barred option to become the party’s nominee. Also, for now, the party is not giving many details about what will happen next.

Some DNC members had already begun privately discussing contingency plans for the possibility of Biden stepping aside before formally deciding to do so on Sunday, and the party’s rules-setting committee. Democratic National ConventionBeginning on August 19th in Chicago, they will meet almost Wednesday afternoon to discuss next steps.

Harris must formally seek nominations from about 4,700 candidates Democratic Convention Delegates — including those pledged to Biden, as well as elected officials, former presidents and other party dignitaries known as superdelegates. He spent part of Sunday calling elected officials and representatives to reassure them of their support.

Biden won the Democratic primaries in every state, and Harris was his running mate on the ticket. South Carolina Rep. Her tapping him as her successor when she drops out of the race bolsters her case, as do endorsements from party heavyweights like Jim Clyburn. Even before Biden dropped his re-election bid, other top Democrats openly supported the vice president and urged him to continue to “pass the torch” to him. Poor debate performance against the Republican candidate Donald Trump Last month.

“People will weigh in, and they should. I think we’re seeing a lot of unification behind the vice president,” said Rahna Epting, executive director of the progressive organization MoveOn. The momentum is there, and it’s important for us to build momentum toward unity.”

Ken Martin, chairman of the Association of State Democratic Committees, which represents 57 parties in states and territories, said Harris was the obvious choice: “Having worked with President Biden, he is ready to be the nominee and our next president on day one. President.” He was endorsed by the 1.75 million-member American Federation of Teachers.

But democratic rules only state that delegates “in good conscience” must vote for the candidate they are elected to represent, leaving no mechanism for defectors. And some in the party have openly given their consent to file nominations.

There is intense debate among lawmakers, major donors and former top officials from the Biden, Obama and Clinton administrations about how to proceed, said a Democrat with deep ties to the Biden administration.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations, argued that Harris would benefit from a competitive mini-primary ahead of the Democratic convention because it would help establish him as a strong candidate and reduce criticism that he was undemocratically anointed. . It’s a fee The Trump campaign Already sought to be used against him, and could loom large in the battle for undecided voters in battleground states.

Such a scenario could leave Democrats heading into their convention without a clear candidate and choosing one through a chaotic series of votes. During their party’s convention in Los Angeles, Johnson and John F. Kennedy and Johnson for support and John F. When Kennedy also played, a process not seen since the 1960s — it could mean seeking individual state representatives to lobby top Democratic candidates seeking to replace Biden.

If that happens, in addition to Harris, several leading Democrats, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and California Rep. Ro Khanna, could run for the nomination. They said after Biden’s announcement that they were formally endorsing Harris.

Inside the White House, meanwhile, there is little expectation that Harris will mount a serious challenge, according to a person familiar with the discussions who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Others who have been mentioned as potential contenders, including Shapiro and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, have endorsed Harris and appear unlikely to run in light of Biden’s support, leaving anyone with the fundraising advantage he hopes to have. Enter the field.

Further complicating matters is the fact that the DNC had planned to hold a virtual roll call to choose its nominee ahead of the convention in order to meet Ohio ballot eligibility rules. That state’s original deadline for the ballot was Aug. 7, and even if the Legislature has since approved legislation to repeal it, it won’t take effect until Sept. 1.

DNC lawyers say the party could face legal challenges in Ohio if it fails to name its party’s nominee before the state’s original deadline. But the Convention Rules Committee said it would not set a date for the virtual roll call — which could take place over several days — Aug. Before 1

Some Democrats fear other GOP legal challenges, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has supported staying in the race by arguing that replacing Biden could trigger “a presidential election decided by Clarence Thomas and the Supreme Court.” – Like what happened during the 2000 presidential election and the controversial recount in Florida.

At Wednesday’s conference rules committee meeting, members could create virtual roll call rules and nominate Harris or create an open process to select a nominee, said a person familiar with the process on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions.

“During the convention, we will have an opportunity to show the country and the world who Democrats are and what we stand for,” Democratic Convention Chair Minyon Moore said in a statement.

Harrison, the DNC chairman, avoided endorsing Harris in a statement, saying, “In short, the American people will ask the Democratic Party for next steps and a path forward for the nomination process.”

A somber Harrison joined the conference credentialing committee’s virtual meeting on Sunday, telling members, “I’m emotional.”

“I still support my president,” Harrison said of Biden. “My friends, we will get through this as we always do.”

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Associated Press writer Colin Long contributed to this report.