US President Joe Biden has officially dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, ending weeks of speculation. Now, people are left wondering who will be the Biden replacement.
“While it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” the Biden letter that was shared to X read.
“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.
“It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President.”
To those wondering what the hell this means for the upcoming presidential election, we’ve got you covered!
Did Joe Biden drop out of the election?
He sure did! This morning, the Biden letter was released into the world, revealing that he will no longer be running for re-election at the 2024 election.
What happens now that Joe Biden isn’t running for president?
Although Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him, the Veep still needs an official endorsement from the party, which has not yet happened.
In a follow-up post to his initial announcement, Biden shared that he would “offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year”.
“Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” Biden said.
Harris said she’s “honoured” to receive Biden’s endorsement and promised to “earn and win” the nomination.
Since Biden has dropped out ahead of his formal nomination at the Democratic National Convention (which is to occur next month), the party’s system for selecting its next choice involves nominating a delegate. There are 3,937 pledged delegates at the DNC, and 1,976 are needed to win the nomination.
Biden had the support of 99 per cent of the delegates, but now that he has dropped out, they are free to vote for whichever candidate they want. It’s not as simple as Harris stepping into the role just ‘cos she’s the Vice President.
Biden’s replacement will either be decided by a virtual roll call, which is tentatively planned for early August, or at the convention in Chicago, which starts on August 19, in which delegates select a new candidate to represent the party.
Which other candidates will replace Biden?
According to ABC News, other potential candidates for the Biden replacement include Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear; North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper; Maryland Gov. Wes Moore; California Gov. Gavin Newsom; Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock and more.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear
The son of former Gov. Steve Beshear, Andy is a more likely candidate for general election than other Democrats as he has notably distanced himself from mainstream Democrats and built his own political brand.
After the debate, Besehar said that he would continue to support the president “so long as he continues to be in the race.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper
North Carolina’s governor since 2017, Roy Cooper is currently serving his second term and was North Carolina’s chief law enforcement officer for four terms.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore
Another up and comer in the party, Moore has gained a national profile lately by leading Maryland’s response to the Baltimore bridge collapse.
At 45 years old, he’s the youngest Democratic governor in the country and the only Black governor.
Moore previously said he will continue to support the president and “will not” seek the Democratic nomination this year should the president leave the race.
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California
Despite saying that he has “sub-zero” interest in following Biden’s footsteps, Newsom is among the candidates tipped to replace Biden.
He has earned a reputation as the Democratic Party’s liberal fighter and even faced off against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a debate in December.
After Biden’s announcement, Newsom posted a statement praising his leadership and describing him as a “history-making president.”
“He will go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents,” Newsom said.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker
Pritzker has been Illinois’ governor since 2019 and is now in his second term.
He is passionate about issues such as gun control and reproductive rights.
Given that he is a billionaire scion of the family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain, he has the means to self-fund a campaign at the last minute.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
Shapiro is best known for annihilating a far-right opponent in the state’s 2022 governor’s race, allowing the party to keep the governor’s mansion and becoming the first to beat a member of his own party as governor in almost six decades.
After Biden’s announcement, Shapiro issued a statement endorsing Harris for the nomination.
“Kamala Harris is a patriot worthy of our support and she will continue the work of generations of Americans who came before us to perfect our union, protect our democracy, and advance real freedom. She has served the country honourably as Vice President and she is ready to be President,” he wrote.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
A leading voice in the party, Whitmer championed abortion rights in her re-election effort and has encouraged Biden to support the issue in the past.
Despite Whitmer’s popularity among the party, she stated that her role in this election “will remain the same.”
Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock
Warnock is the senator from Georgia and a pastor who scored the Democratic majority in the Senate and became a party favourite.
We’ll have to wait until August before we receive answers on the Biden replacement.
The post Who Will Replace Joe Biden As The Democratic Nominee For US President? appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
