President Biden announced on Sunday that he will not seek reelection and has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the upcoming election.
“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden posted on the social platform X. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made.”
Biden continued, “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Biden’s initial announcement that he would not seek reelection spurred speculation about the party’s future. However, his endorsement of Harris provides her a significant advantage in the race to replace him as the Democratic nominee.
Harris has several advantages: she was part of the winning ticket in 2020, received millions of votes in this year’s primaries, has been campaigning in swing states, has been a prominent advocate for abortion access, and is the only other candidate with access to the Biden-Harris campaign’s substantial war chest.
Several lawmakers had already expressed their support for Harris if Biden chose not to run. Skipping over the first woman and first woman of color elected vice president could provoke political backlash within the party.
It remains unclear if Harris will face any challengers for the nomination or if the Democrats will push for an open convention or a rapid primary before the Democratic National Convention begins on August 19 in Chicago.
Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign faced significant challenges and ended before the Iowa caucuses, raising questions about her ability to develop a winning message. Additionally, Republicans are expected to target her role as the “border czar” and tie her to ongoing issues like inflation that have affected the Biden administration.
