Who Democrats could choose to replace Biden after his disastrous debate
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Joe Biden during the first presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia on June 27. Photo: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Biden's faltering debate performance Thursday night has worried Democrats openly discussing whether the president needs to step aside for a younger candidate while elated Republicans gloat over his stumbles.
Why it matters: Democrats have several high-profile candidates who could step in, but no party in modern U.S. history has ever tried to forcibly replace its presidential nominee.
Between the lines: The easiest way to replace Biden would be for the president to decide to withdraw from the race — an unlikely scenario.
- A Biden adviser told CNN Friday that not only would the president not drop out, but he also still intends to participate in the second debate in November.
- Democrats could choose an open nominating process at the Democratic National Convention in August, Politico reported. This would require some delegates from states Biden won to buck the results of their local primaries and vote for another presidential nominee.
Here's who could possibly replace Biden:
Kamala Harris
As second-in-command, Vice President Kamala Harris would be one of the most obvious picks to replace Biden.
- However, if Biden were to drop out, his delegates wouldn't automatically transfer to her, and she would still need to win a majority of delegates at the DNC, per NBC News.
- Though Harris would benefit from name recognition, since becoming vice president she has struggled with her public image and low approval ratings.
- Harris has been at the forefront of highlighting the Biden administration's efforts to protect reproductive rights.
- Harris delivered an impassioned defense of Biden following Thursday's debate.
Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been a rising star in the Democratic party who hasn't ruled out a presidential run in the future.
- As governor, Whitmer has championed gun safety measures, abortion access and civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ residents.
- Whitmer launched a national political group last year in an effort to booster her public profile.
Gavin Newsom
Like Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is another name frequently bandied about for a possible 2028 run who could turn into a 2024 replacement.
- Newsom has been building a national network of supporters and donors in recent years while garnering more national attention, including via a primetime debate against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year.
- He has also enjoyed an increasingly warm relationship with Biden.
- Newsom defended Biden's record from the spin room Thursday night following the debate.
JB Pritzker
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a billionaire businessman, has also been boosting his national profile in recent years.
- In 2023, Pritzker launched a national nonprofit group to fund abortion rights ballot measures across the country.
- Pritzker slammed Trump in a series of posts on X Thursday night, calling him "a 34-count convicted felon who cares only about himself," and a "liar."
Pete Buttigieg
Having made his national ambitions clear with a run for president in 2020, Buttigieg could also be a potential Biden replacement.
- Buttigieg has been serving in the Biden cabinet as Transportation Secretary, where he has been forced to contend with a pile-on of crises — including the East Palestine train derailment, Southwest Airlines' winter meltdown last year, the Baltimore Bridge collapse and the crisis at Boeing.
