What happens if Biden drops out of the race? Here are some scenarios

What was once considered unfathomable could soon become a reality - the Democrats possibly seeking a new presidential candidate.

Jonathan Gordon

Jul 19, 2024, 4:22 PM

Updated 142 days ago

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What was once considered unfathomable could soon become a reality - the Democrats possibly seeking a new presidential candidate.
President Joe Biden remains defiant in his position that he is the best candidate to defeat former President Donald Trump this November, but the public pressure campaign calling for him to leave the ticket is only growing louder.
So what happens if Biden makes the unprecedented political decision?
Vice President Kamala Harris is the likeliest Democrat to replace Biden at the top of the ticket, though her nomination is far from a guarantee. Unlike the Presidential line of succession which is laid out in the United States Constitution, there is no requirement to name the vice president as the party’s nominee if the president bows out.
If Biden drops out, he will release the delegates that he’s collected throughout the year during various state primary races. Nintey-five percent of the 3,979 pledged delegates are required to vote for Biden if he’s still on the ballot. If released, the delegates are free to vote for whomever they choose, though it’s likely they would pick the candidate the Democratic Party endorses.
In the case the party cannot coalesce around one person, several other politicians would all vie for the party’s support. In addition to Harris, some of the other likely names would be California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Maryland Governor Wes Moore.
According to DNC rules, only the pledged delegates will take part in the first round of voting, but if one candidate cannot secure a simple majority, an additional 771 superdelegates who are unpledged will join the vote as well. Rounds of voting will continue until one candidate wins the nomination for the general election.
As of now, the Democratic National Committee has scheduled a virtual roll call for the first week of August to nominate its presidential ticket. If anything changes, the nominee will be chosen at the convention, which is scheduled to begin on Aug. 19, in Chicago.
So, what happens to all the money Biden’s campaign has raised?
There’s a debate whether Harris would have direct access to the money if she’s nominated after Biden drops out because her name is on the donations as the vice president. There would be legal challenges from Republican-backed lawyers to contest that.
To avoid legal issues, the Biden campaign could mark the funds as “excess” and contribute them to the Democratic National Committee or a PAC that would use it to support whomever the national party supports.