President Biden’s decision to not seek reelection in 2024 has caused a significant shakeup in the Democratic presidential race. Amid concerns about his fitness for a second term, more than three dozen elected Democrats called for him to exit the race. In response, Biden has thrown his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris, who intends to earn and win the party’s nomination. The announcement comes just weeks before the Democratic National Convention, where Harris is expected to become the Democratic presidential nominee with key party members lining up behind her.
The Democratic National Convention in Chicago, scheduled to begin on August 19, was planning a virtual roll call vote to nominate the presidential candidate. However, if the virtual vote does not take place as expected on August 1, Democrats could face an open convention, where candidates will work to convince delegates to vote for them. A candidate needs to win 1,968 delegates, a majority of pledged delegates, in the first round of voting to secure the Democratic nomination. There are also superdelegates, party leaders who are not committed to any candidate and cannot vote in the first ballot at the convention.
Biden was heading into the convention with nearly 3,900 pledged delegates, but they can now vote for the candidate of their choosing. Alan Clendenin of Florida expects a “supermajority” of delegates to support Harris in the coming days. Additionally, North Carolina’s delegates have voted to endorse and support Harris. Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison stated that the party will work to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November. There is uncertainty about whether Harris will face any opponents in the fight for the Democratic nomination.
Several rising stars in the Democratic Party, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, have endorsed Harris to lead the ticket. Nomination fights at the convention can be lengthy and challenging, as seen in the 1924 Democratic National Convention when it took 103 ballots to nominate a candidate for president and vice president. Despite the potential challenges of an open convention, Democrats are working towards a transparent and orderly process to select a nominee who can compete against Donald Trump in the upcoming election. The party is focused on uniting behind a candidate who can secure victory in November.
