President Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid means Democrats must now quickly select a new candidate. The Democratic National Convention’s rules committee has approved a virtual roll call vote to begin in early August, ahead of the convention.
Although many in the party quickly endorsed Vice President Harris as the nominee-apparent, as Biden did, and no serious candidate has emerged to challenge her, Democrats still must make a formal nomination.
What does Biden’s exit mean for the Democratic convention?
Biden’s exit from the race means the Democratic National Convention will probably serve as the venue for the formal announcement of the party’s presidential nominee and vice-presidential nominee.
Democratic Party officials said they will seek to pick a candidate by Aug. 7, well before the convention, because some states have August deadlines to get on the ballot for the general election, while early voting begins in some places in September, The Washington Post reported.
When is the Democratic convention?
The dates for the convention are Aug. 19 to Aug. 22.
Where is the convention?
It will be in Chicago. Evening activities such as official proceedings and prime-time programming will take place at United Center, the home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks. Daytime events will be held at McCormick Place, the sprawling lakefront convention center, according to convention organizers. The Windy City hosted the 1968 Democratic National Convention — the last time the party was forced to pick a presidential candidate because its incumbent had opted not to seek reelection.
Can anyone attend the convention?
Party delegates from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the American territories will attend the convention. It is also possible to attend the convention as a volunteer, after passing a background check, for duties including usher service and transport coordination for guests.
How many people are expected?
The convention is expected to draw about 50,000 visitors to Chicago. An estimated 15,000 members of the press and about 5,000 delegates are likely to be in attendance.
Will it be an open convention?
Party officials said they have ruled out an “in-person contested convention” because of ballot access deadlines, potential Republican legal challenges and the need to vet a vice-presidential candidate.
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If the party is not able to arrive at a consensus before the convention, the Democrats would then have to hold what is known as an “open” convention — their first since 1968 — in which contenders woo delegates for votes. The potential for chaos in that unlikely scenario is high.
Who will be the Democratic nominee?
Harris has amassed more than enough pledged support from delegates to win, and she is likely to be declared the official nominee by Aug. 7.
If she remains the only person running, electronic voting will begin on Aug. 1. If other candidates emerge, the voting may start a bit later to give them time to campaign.
Any other potential nominee has until July 30 at 6 p.m. to formally declare their candidacy and obtain signatures of support from 300 delegates.
Harris has said she will seek to “earn and win” the Democratic presidential nomination. She has not yet received the endorsem*nts of some prominent party leaders, and her approval ratings have largely mirrored the decline of Biden’s since 2021.
Who will be the vice-presidential nominee?
Vice President Harris will select her running mate by Aug. 7, according to two officials familiar with her timeline, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. The move is aimed at ensuring a full ticket is in place ahead of the Democratic National Convention virtual roll call and to ensure the ticket meets state ballot deadlines.
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There are conflicting reports about who is being vetted for the job, but some of the names that have been floated include Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Mark Kelly (Ariz.) and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. Here are some of the potential options.
One of the people said Harris started the search process on Tuesday and is considering roughly a dozen individuals.
Who else could replace Biden?
Names of potential alternatives to Harris have been floating around since Biden’s announcement, but their chances of getting the nomination seem to be dwindling as support for Harris increases.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, all floated as possible contenders, have thrown their support behind Harris. An adviser to Sen. Joe Manchin III (I-W.Va.) told The Post he was considering re-registering as a Democrat to compete for the party’s nomination, but the senator later said he has no plans to pursue the nomination.
Who is the DNC chair?
Jaime Harrison, a former head of the South Carolina Democratic Party, chairs the Democratic National Committee. In a statement posted on social media after Biden’s announcement not to seek reelection, Harrison said Democrats would “undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate” who can beat Trump.
Harrison previously served as an aide to Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), a Biden ally.
Harrison said he was “emotional” about Biden’s decision. “I still support my president. And we will get through this, my friends, as we always do.”
Colby Itkowitz, Tyler Pager, Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Patrick Svitek contributed to this report.
