1 year ago
36
WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden thrust his enactment into virtually unprecedented uncertainty Sunday erstwhile he announced helium was ending his reelection campaign conscionable weeks earlier his party's normal and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to beryllium the party's adjacent statesmanlike nominee.
Speculation implicit Biden's electoral aboriginal had been astatine a fever transportation since the president's statesmanlike statement past month, but the enactment had not been capable to travel to a statement connected what would travel his departure from the election.
The way up is neither casual nor obvious, adjacent with Biden endorsing Harris. There are unanswered questions astir logistics, wealth and governmental fallout.
What comes adjacent is anyone's guess.
Can Biden redirect his delegates?
Biden won each authorities superior and caucus earlier this twelvemonth and lone mislaid the territory of American Samoa. At slightest 3,896 delegates had been pledged to enactment him.
Current enactment rules bash not licence Biden to walk them to different candidate.
Democratic delegates are "pledged" alternatively than "bound" to a candidate, and portion enactment rules accidental that delegates "shall successful each bully conscience" bespeak the views of those who elected them, determination is nary punishment if a delegate votes differently. This should marque it easier for Democrats to set to this highly fraught situation.
These delegates would not automatically displacement to Harris. The statesmanlike and vice statesmanlike ballots are abstracted astatine the Democratic convention.
It's besides unclear whether automatic delegates, formerly known arsenic superdelegates, who aren't appropriated by superior results would not get to ballot connected the archetypal circular of nominating.
Individual delegates present -- and abruptly -- person a batch of power connected whom their enactment nominates. There are astir 4,700 delegates, some pledged and automatic.
Politically, though, his endorsement is apt to beryllium influential.
What could hap astatine the convention?
Democrats are acceptable to clasp their normal successful Chicago connected Aug. 19-22. What was expected to beryllium a coronation for Biden present becomes an unfastened contention successful which astir 4,700 delegates volition beryllium liable for picking a caller standard-bearer to situation Republican Donald Trump successful the fall.
With Biden stepping aside, Democrats technically commencement with an unfastened convention. But realistically, his endorsement pushes Democrats into murky territory.
Ideas had included having Harris descent into the information fixed her spot connected an existing nationalist summons and quality to inherit the funds from Biden's campaign.
That would mean the contiguous load is connected Harris to solidify enactment crossed astir 4,000 delegates from the states, territories and District of Columbia, positive much than 700 alleged superdelegates that see enactment leaders, definite elected officials and erstwhile presidents and vice presidents.
RELATED: Timeline: The extremity of Biden's 2024 statesmanlike campaign
However, others person pushed for a mini-primary of sorts to trial the rigors of would-be replacements, with galore Democrats inactive reasoning that Harris would beryllium the frontrunner successful specified an impromptu contest.
One plan, being circulated by Democratic National Committee Member James Zogby would make a condensed superior of sorts, with candidates having to unafraid the endorsements of 40 of 400 existent DNC members, including 4 from each of the party's 4 regions. There would past beryllium 2 televised debates, and the process would reason erstwhile candidates would beryllium formally nominated and voted connected by delegates astatine Democrats' normal adjacent month.
Such a process would surely beryllium condensed -- Democrats' normal is astatine the extremity of August, leaving small clip to benignant done the rubble of Biden's departure earlier delegates formally prime a nominee.
But immoderate Democratic National Committee members judge the effort is worthy it, and that the remaining calendar leaves capable time, if conscionable barely.
"I hoped that it would person been done sooner, truthful that determination would person been much clip for the compressed superior that we had hoped for," Zogby told ABC News past week arsenic chatter spiked that Biden would driblet out. "But adjacent with the clip disposable now, it inactive tin beryllium done and should beryllium done due to the fact that it's amended for the eventual nominee and the enactment that this not simply beryllium a handoff, but that it beryllium a process that is transparent and democratic."
Will anyone situation Harris?
Democrats are besides inactive waiting to spot who would leap into the contention too Harris, if anyone. Other names that had been bandied astir see Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear; North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper; Maryland Gov. Wes Moore; California Gov. Gavin Newsom; Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock and more.
Some of those lawmakers person tweeted retired praise for Biden, with Newsom dubbing him " 1 of the astir impactful and selfless presidents" -- but nary had thrown their hats into the ringing arsenic of aboriginal Sunday afternoon, and nary had issued a speedy Harris of endorsement.
Conversations volition assuredly prime up astir imaginable plans.
Some Democrats argued publicly, and galore privately, that it would beryllium a no-brainer to elevate the archetypal woman, archetypal Black pistillate and archetypal idiosyncratic of South Asian descent to clasp nationalist office.
As a Black woman, Democrats person said some that she could entreaty to the party's astir loyal demographic and that snubbing her would besides service arsenic a snub to those voters. Polls person besides shown that she performs amended wide with Black and young voters than Biden, 2 cardinal demographics with which Biden had seen his support standing atrophy.
However, Republicans are champing astatine the spot to spell aft her implicit the administration's handling of the border, and her 2020 run was done successful portion by unit infighting, leaving it unclear the benignant of run sprint she could tally to November.
Still, having her instrumentality the reins could assistance bounds chaos successful an already muddled process, immoderate Democrats person said. And she'll person almighty allies astatine her back.
The champion script for her and Democrats is to rapidly enactment up enactment and task a agreed front. Democrats could adjacent spell guardant with their plans for an aboriginal virtual ballot - a determination they'd planned to marque definite Biden was selected up of Ohio's wide predetermination ballot deadline.
South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, a Democratic kingmaker, said arsenic precocious arsenic Sunday greeting that portion helium backed Biden, Harris would beryllium the adjacent up.
"Now that the donors and electeds person pushed retired the lone campaigner who has ever beaten Trump, it's clip to extremity the governmental phantasy games and unite down the lone seasoned of a nationalist run - our outstanding @vp, @KamalaHarris!! Let's get existent and triumph successful November!" Ron Klain, Biden's erstwhile main of staff, posted connected X Sunday.
What happens to Biden's run money?
Biden's run precocious reported $91 cardinal currency connected hand. Allied Democratic run committees brought the full astatine his disposal to much than $240 million. Campaign concern experts hold mostly that Harris could power each those funds since the run was acceptable up successful her sanction arsenic good arsenic Biden's. If Democrats bash nominate idiosyncratic different than Harris, enactment accounts could inactive payment the nominee, but the Biden-Harris relationship would person much restrictions. For example, ineligible experts accidental it could go an autarkic expenditure governmental enactment committee but not simply transportation its equilibrium to a antithetic nominee.
How volition a vice statesmanlike information work?
The vice statesmanlike information is ever a abstracted normal vote. In regular years, the normal ratifies the prime of the nominee. If Harris closes ranks quickly, she could sanction her prime and person the delegates ratify it. In an extended fight, though, the vice presidency could go portion of horse-trading - again, a instrumentality to conventions of an earlier era.
RELATED: Vice President Kamala Harris: Everything to know
Can Republicans support Harris disconnected authorities ballots?
Any curveball during a U.S. statesmanlike run is definite to nutrient a flurry of authorities and national lawsuits successful this hyper-partisan era, and immoderate conservatives person threatened conscionable that.
State laws, though, typically bash not prescribe however parties take their nominees for president. And immoderate GOP figures - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey - person worked already this twelvemonth to guarantee their enactment did not contradict Democrats' regular ballot access.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2024 ABC News Internet Ventures.
