Biden’s announcement comes nearly a month after his rough debate performance , which led to a wave of Democratic officials, party members, and donors calling for his resignation from the race. Even though Biden threw his support behind his vice president, it’s still just an endorsement, not an official nomination.
If Harris receives the party’s nomination in August, she will make history again after becoming the first Black and Asian-American woman to serve as U.S. vice president.
As the new Democratic frontrunner, Harris’ potential candidacy brings to mind former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s race against former President Donald Trump in 2016 as the first female nominee of both major parties. Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million ballots, but lost the Electoral College to Trump.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton participates in an event on women's role in building a climate-resilient world, at COP28 World Climate Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 4, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky AMR ALFIKY, REUTERS
Though her name is not among those being floated for Biden’s replacement, could Clinton replace the president on the Democratic ticket?
Could Hillary Clinton receive the Democratic nomination?
While it’s possible for Clinton to replace Biden on the Democratic ticket, it is improbable. Shortly after Harris announced her candidacy on Sunday, the former U.S. Secretary of State and her husband, former President Bill Clinton , endorsed her in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her,” they wrote in the statement. “Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her.”
In August, 3,896 delegates will gather at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to back who they choose, even if Biden won in their states’ primaries this year. According to DNC rules, “delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”
This good conscious rule means delegates are encouraged to vote for the winner of the state primary, but can vote for someone else. However, multiple state parties, including South Carolina, have pledged their delegates to Harris at the DNC her candidacy announcement Sunday.
Other names being floated as Biden’s replacement include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
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