In the aftermath of Joe Biden’s shocking withdrawal from the 2024 election, several major Democratic Party figures offered up their support for Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement, while at least one leader has not yet chosen to do so.
As reported by Axios, former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, former Secretary of State and the party’s presidential nominee in 2016, issued a joint statement endorsing Harris on Sunday, shortly after Biden released his earth-shattering statement confirming that he would not run for re-election after all.
“We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her,” the statement read, in part. “Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her. America’s future depends on it.”
The Clintons’ endorsement was seen as a sign that the party’s establishment class plans to coalesce around Harris’ candidacy for the sake of unity, rather than endure a prolonged open convention with multiple candidates. Hillary’s role in the statement also served as confirmation that the former nominee does not plan on running herself, after initial speculation that she might be one of the candidates to succeed Biden.
Biden was the first one to endorse Harris after his initial post on X declaring that he would withdraw from the race. In a follow-up post, Biden claimed that choosing Harris as his running mate in 2020 was “the best decision I’ve made.”
“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden continued. “Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
However, one major leader in the Democratic Party has conspicuously refused to endorse Harris: Former President Barack Obama. In his official statement, posted on his Medium account, Obama stated that he has “extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”
While Biden was ultimately forced out of the race due to concerns about his age and mental and physical health, Harris also polls poorly against President Trump due to a widespread perception that she is unlikable, elitist, and out-of-touch with the average American voter.
Biden’s withdrawal from the race is truly unprecedented in American history. While past presidents have chosen not to seek re-election despite being eligible, such as Lyndon Johnson in 1968, Biden is the first president in history to do so after he had already won his party’s primaries and had become the presumptive nominee. The Democratic National Convention, where Biden’s replacement will be chosen, is scheduled to take place from August 19th to August 22nd. Due to his withdrawal, all of his over 3,000 delegates have been released, and thus can vote for anyone they choose.
Other candidates who have been speculated as possible replacements include California Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.). Harris’ shortlist of potential running mates includes Governor Andy Beshear (D-Ky.), Governor Roy Cooper (D-N.C.), Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Governor Josh Shapiro (D-Penn.), Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.), and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (D-Ind.), among others.
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