5 things to know about where Dems go from here

Joe Biden is out. Kamala Harris is in.

But there are still a lot of open questions about what’s next for the Democratic Party and the 2024 presidential election. Here are the five biggest questions right now:

How is the process going to work?

The Democratic National Committee had been preparing to hold a virtual roll call vote to officially pick the nominee, starting as early as the middle of next week. But now those plans — which were expected to be finalized and approved by this Friday — are in flux.

In a statement after Biden’s announcement, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison promised the party “will undertake a transparent and orderly process” to pick the nominee, without offering specifics.

“This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party,” Harrison’s statement said. “Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.”

A DNC spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about whether that means they will proceed with a virtual roll call before the convention, or do it on the convention floor in Chicago — as is customary — the week of Aug. 19.

Will anyone challenge Harris?

Biden’s endorsement of his vice president could very well cut off any real opposition, leaving the Democratic Party’s bench looking toward 2028 and beyond instead of throwing their hats into the ring. Still, we’re wondering about governors like Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky or JB Pritzker of Illinois.

Of that list, all but Newsom — who is from the same state as the vice president — might see vying to be Harris’ running mate as a better bet for their political future than an insurgent campaign to win over delegates over the next few weeks.

Will the rest of the party get in line?

Even if most of the other would-be hopefuls decide not to run, that doesn’t mean the rest of the party will be unanimously behind her. Throughout the past few weeks, some Democrats — from elected officials to big donors — have fretted about Harris’ low favorability ratings throughout her time as vice president, and there have been calls for a competitive convention instead of a fait accompli.

Those clamors for an “open convention” continued Sunday after Biden’s announcement, including from some in the highest levels of the party. Former President Barack Obama’s statement congratulating Biden on his retirement did not include a Harris endorsement, but rather said he had “extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”

Harris even nodded to the need to “earn and win” the nomination in her statement — an acknowledgment that a competition, not a coronation, puts her in the best position going into the general election.

So would anyone be a stronger candidate?

The data so far are unclear. Pollsters have only started to ask voters whom they would support between Harris and former President Donald Trump — let alone other possible candidates. And at least before the GOP convention and the failed attempt on Trump’s life last weekend, surveys showed little difference between the various Democratic candidates .

When might we see new polling?

Maybe soon — but there’s a catch.

It’s common for pollsters to go into the field following big set pieces in the campaign, like a major party’s national convention. So many have probably spent the weekend interviewing voters.

But they won’t necessarily be out of date just because of Biden’s announcement. While those polls will have asked about a Biden-Trump matchup, it’s likely that they also asked how Harris — and perhaps some of the other Democrats mentioned as possibilities — would fare, too, given the public push for Biden to decline the nomination.

That will establish a baseline for a Harris-Trump race — and the vice president’s campaign will be seeking a bump from the hastily assembled rollout of her candidacy this week.