US President Joe Biden has ended his re-election campaign and is endorsing Kamala Harris as his candidate Democratic candidate in the November 5 presidential election. In the ensuing power vacuum, Harris has emerged as the obvious choice to take on the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, but first she will need to shore up support within her party.
Nothing about Harris’ nomination is guaranteed, and the current vice president has stated that she plans to “earn and win” her place on the ballot. Democrats will choose their nominee at the Democratic National Convention, scheduled for August 19-22.
Even before Biden announced he was dropping out of the race, Democrats floated numerous potential alternatives for the nomination after the president’s disastrous debate against Trump. So far, however, no other Democrats have announced they plan to campaign against Harris — but it’s still early days.
Leading Democrats who have the best chance to challenge Harris are also among her strongest choices as a running mate. Harris herself ran a presidential campaign against Biden in 2020 before dropping out of the race and joining his ticket.
High-profile Democrats must now choose between throwing their hat into the ring against a candidate with international name recognition and already receiving a wave of endorsements, or throwing their support behind them. While recent polls show a majority of Democrats supporting Harris, she has also faced criticism for failing to address critical issues and distinguish herself in her vice presidential role.
The question remains whether Harris could defeat Trump if she wins the nomination.
Here’s a look at some of the top Democratic politicians who could give Harris a run for her money, or potentially join her ticket.
Gavin Newsom
California Governor Gavin Newsom has long been considered a potential candidate for president because he is one of the most recognized figures in the Democratic Party.
After him, Newsom also fueled speculation about his ambitions in the White House debated Florida Governor Ron DeSantis last year. Some called it a window into an alternate political universe, with DeSantis and Newsom facing the Oval Office instead of Biden and Trump.
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Newsom launched a “Campaign for democracy” last year to advance Democratic causes including gun reform and abortion rights. It has raised more than $10 million to date while increasing its profile on the national stage.
However, Newsom has said several times that he would not run for president and his chances of being chosen as running mate also seem quite slim. Harris is also from California and won’t need much help to shore up support in the historically blue state.
Newsom responded to news of Biden’s departure from the presidential race by tweeting that he “will go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents.”
Gretchen Whitmer
Besides Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer likely has the best chance to challenge Harris for the nomination. But she has also indicated that she will not throw her hat into the ring.
Whitmer tweeted that her “job in this election will remain the sameafter Biden announced he would not seek re-election.
Whitmer has become a leading voice in the Democratic party, impressively winning reelection in battleground Michigan by double digits in 2022. Because her support base is in a swing state, some have floated Whitmer as a leading candidate for running mate. If so, it would be the first all-female ticket for the U.S. presidency in history, a potential bonus in an election in which women’s reproductive rights are a top issue.
The 52-year-old governor also caught Biden’s attention in 2020, as he was vetted as a possible running mate before Biden chose Harris.
Josh Shapiro
While Whitmer has only indicated she will not challenge Harris, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has formally endorsed her for president.
“The best path forward for the Democratic Party is to quickly rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris and refocus on winning the presidency,” Shapiro wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
A May New York Times poll found that Shapiro is especially popular with Trump supporters in Pennsylvania. Given that he has solid support in one of the key battleground states of this year’s election, Shapiro has a strong chance of becoming a running mate.
The state’s former attorney general has been seen as a rising star in the party since taking office last year. Shapiro defeated Republican Doug Mastriano in 2022 by a comfortable 12 points to win the gubernatorial election in Pennsylvania.
Other leading Democrats
Andy Beshear, the governor of Kentucky, is another Democrat with rare popularity in a traditionally Republican state, who has built a successful career in a state that supported Trump by more than 25 points in 2020.
U.S. Senator Mark Kelly is well-liked among Democratic Party elites for striking a relatively moderate tone in a hotly contested state that has traditionally favored Republicans. Kelly, a former U.S. Navy captain and astronaut, is also the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was seriously injured in a shooting in 2011. Gun violence is a major campaign issue for Democrats.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has some of the best name recognition in the Democratic party after running for the presidential nomination in 2020 against both Biden and Harris. Buttigieg later endorsed Biden and was picked to join the new administration’s Cabinet in 2021. The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, also has close ties to Michigan, a critical state for Democrats in November.
Harris’ chances
Harris has maintained a respectable approval rating as vice president and she is polling highest among Democrats to replace Biden in the race. She is also deeply entrenched in the existing Democratic campaign, all reasons why she seems the logical choice to lead the party in the upcoming elections.
If Harris is named as the party’s nominee, he stands to take over the money raised by the Biden campaign and inherit the campaign infrastructure. Multiple sources report this to Reuters.
U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the Democrat often credited with securing Biden’s nomination in the 2020 presidential race, has endorsed Harris’ campaign.
“I join Biden in the good judgment he has shown in selecting Vice President Harris to lead this nation with him, and I am proud to follow his lead in supporting her candidacy to succeed him as the Democratic Party’s 2024 nominee for president,” Clyburn wrote. .
The optics of ignoring Harris for the nomination would not be good for the Democratic party, strategists suggest, as black and women voters are key to any electoral victory.
Yet the nomination is far from certain. The only thing that is certain is that Democrats have a limited time to rally behind a candidate who can challenge Trump.
– with files from Reuters
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