ATLANTA (AP) – With the president Joe Biden ending his reelection bid and endorsing the vice president Kamala HarrisDemocrats must now navigate unprecedented change at the end of the election year.
Democrats will hold their convention in Chicago from August 19-22. What was supposed to be a coronation for Biden now becomes an open contest in which nearly 4,700 delegates will be responsible for choosing a new standard-bearer to challenge the Republicans. donald trump in the fall.
The path forward is neither easy nor obvious, even with Biden’s support of Harris. There are unanswered questions about logistics, money and political consequences.
Can Biden redirect his delegates?
Biden won all state primaries and caucuses earlier this year and only lost the territory of American Samoa. At least 3,896 delegates pledged to support him.
Current party rules do not allow Biden to pass them on to another candidate. Politically, however, her endorsement will likely be influential.
What could happen at the convention?
With Biden gone, Democrats technically begin with an open convention. But realistically, his support pushes Democrats into murky territory.
The immediate responsibility falls to Harris to solidify the support of nearly 4,000 delegates from the states, territories and the District of Columbia, as well as more than 700 the so-called superdelegates which include party leaders, certain elected officials, and former presidents and vice presidents.
Will anyone challenge Harris?
Even before Biden announced his decision, Democrats suggested the governor of California. Gavin Newsom and governor of Michigan. Gretchen Whitmer as potential candidates in addition to Harris. However, some Democrats have argued publicly, and many privately, that it would be obvious to raise the first woman, first black woman and first person of South Asian descent to hold national office.
Given the importance of Black voters — and especially Black women — to Biden’s nomination and his selection of Harris as his running mate, it would be risky, to say the least, for Democrats to ignore her as a white candidate. Democrats have already faced historical headwinds before Biden’s withdrawal. Newsom and Whitmer, both white, and any other Democrat would also have to weigh the short- and long-term benefits of challenging Harris now versus preserving goodwill for a future presidential primary.
However, fair or not, Harris has also not been seen as especially loved or empowered vice president. The best case scenario for her and the Democrats is to quickly build support and project a united front. Democrats could even move forward with their plans to an early virtual vote — a move they devised to ensure Biden would be selected before the Ohio general election deadline.
What happens to Biden’s campaign money?
The Biden campaign recently reported $91 million in cash on hand. Allied Democratic campaign committees have raised the total at their disposal to more than $240 million. Campaign finance experts generally agree that Harris could control all these funds since the campaign was set up in her name and also in Biden’s name. If Democrats nominated someone other than Harris, the party’s bills could still benefit the nominee, but the Biden-Harris bill would have more restrictions. For example, legal experts say it could become an independent political action committee on expenditures, but not simply transfer its balance to a different candidate.
How will a vice presidential nomination work?
The vice presidential nomination is always a separate vote at the convention. In routine years, the convention ratifies the choice of nominee. If Harris quickly closes ranks, she could name her pick and have delegates ratify it. In a protracted fight, however, the vice presidency could become part of the horse trading – once again, a return to the conventions of an earlier era.
Can Republicans keep Harris off the state ballot?
Any obstacle during a U.S. presidential campaign is certain to produce a flood of state and federal lawsuits in this hyperpartisan era, and some conservatives have threatened just that.
State laws, however, typically do not prescribe how parties choose their presidential nominees. And some numbers from the Republican Party – Governor of Ohio. Mike DeWine and governor of Alabama Kay Ivey – have already worked this year to ensure that their party does not deny Democrats routine access to the polls.
