US election 2024: What's next for Democrats if Joe Biden drops out of race?

Two dozen Democrat lawmakers in Congress have urged Joe Biden to reconsider his poll bid, citing reasons such as his health concerns and worries over his declining popularity against Donald Trump

US President Joe Biden is expected to make a major announcement related to his re-election bid on Friday, triggering speculations that the 81-year-old Democrat may drop out of the US presidential election race amid mounting pressure.

More than two dozen Democrat lawmakers in Congress have urged the US president to reconsider his poll bid, citing reasons such as Biden’s health concerns and worries over his declining popularity against Republican rival Donald Trump.

On Friday, the US president’s ‘Biden for President’ campaign will hold an all-staff meeting to decide on their next steps. This comes as Biden, who tested positive for Covid-19 infection on Wednesday, has gone in isolation at his Delaware home, allowing his party leaders to encourage his exit from the race.

What if Joe Biden exits the 2024 presidential race?

Some Democrat lawmakers in Congress are rallying behind US Vice President Kamala Harris in the event of Biden’s extraordinary announcement. However, she wouldn’t become the party’s top choice for presidential race automatically if Biden gives up. 

Like Republicans, Biden’s party will hold the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19, where the delegates will vote to select their official presidential nominee. Prior to this, the Democrats have the chance to agree on one name as their preferred nominee, which to be clear, is not an official selection until the delegates vote.

The four-day Republican National Convention wrapped up on Thursday with Trump formally accepting his nomination alongside JD Vance, who was named by the former president as his running mate for vice presidency.

The conventions mark a critical next step for the race, following months after both Biden and Trump scored victories against their party rivals in the primary elections held earlier this year.

What if Democrats don’t choose a common nominee for president?

If the Democrats fail to solidify one name, this could result in an open convention, meaning the delegates, who would have normally chosen the preferred candidate, will vote for anyone who wants to contest.

At present, Biden’s top potential replacements are US Vice President Kamala Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom. In the past, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear , Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker have all been floated as possible replacements for Biden.

What’s the process of selecting a presidential nominee?

During the convention, the candidates would have to secure signatures from 600 delegates to be nominated. According to the data available, it is expected that there would be nearly 4,700 convention delegates, of which 739 are automatic or ‘superdelegates’.

In the first round of voting, the 3,900 delegates vote to choose a candidate. In case no candidate gets the majority in this round, the superdelegates can vote on subsequent rounds until a nominee is chosen. The last time when superdelegates had to vote to select a Democratic presidential nominee was in 1952.

(Note: This article explains the sequence of events that would be followed in case Biden drops out of the race before the convention. In case he drops out of the race after the national convention, there is a separate procedure.)
 

(With inputs from Reuters)