US

Kamala Harris says she will seek Democratic nomination as Biden drops out of race

Biden makes decision after mounting pressure and endorses vice president

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris during a health care event on March 26th. Photograph: Doug Mills/The New York Times
Sun Jul 21 2024 - 22:42

US vice president Kamala Harris last night said she would seek the Democratic nomination for president following Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 race and endorse her.

In a statement, she said she was honoured to have the Mr Biden’s endorsement, adding: “My intention is to earn and win this nomination.”

Mr Biden (81), said earlier yesterday he would not seek re-election, reversing his decision after weeks of mounting pressure for him to end his bid from fellow Democrats. A calamitous debate performance in June sparked a political nightmare for Democrats who feared Mr Biden would not be able to defeat Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Mr Biden endorsed Ms Harris (59), to be the Democratic nominee, saying she had his “full support.” But his move comes with just weeks left until the convention in Chicago on August 19th, potentially opening the door to chaos if other candidates decide to enter the race.

READ MORE

Ms Harris – the first female, Black and Asian vice president – is popular with key parts of the party’s base and would be a likely candidate to help Democrats coalesce around a nominee.

A number of prominent Democrats and liberal groups offered their support for Ms Harris shortly after Mr Biden’s announcement, including former president Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, who was the Democratic nominee in 2016.

Governors Gavin Newsom and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan – both seen as potential contenders for the nomination – do not intend to challenge Ms Harris, according to CBS News.

Mr Biden, in a post on X, said he will remain in his role as president until his term ends in January 2025 and will address the nation this week. He has not been seen in public since testing positive for Covid-19 last week and is isolating at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

“While it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Mr Biden wrote.

Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison said the American people will hear from the party on next steps and the path forward for the nomination process soon. It was the first time in more than a half-century that an incumbent US president gave up his party’s nomination.

Mr Biden’s campaign had been faltering since a disastrous debate on June 27th against Mr Trump (78), in which the incumbent at times struggled to finish his thoughts. Mr Trump accepted his party’s nomination at a convention last week.

Opposition from within Mr Biden’s party gained momentum over the past week with 36 congressional Democrats – more than one in eight – publicly calling on him to end his campaign.

Lawmakers said they feared he could cost them not only the White House but also the chance to control either chamber of Congress next year, which would leave Democrats with no meaningful grasp on power in Washington.

It was unclear whether other senior Democrats would challenge Ms Harris for the party’s nomination – she was widely seen as the pick for many party officials – or whether the party itself would choose to open the field for nominations.

Public opinion polling shows that Ms Harris performs no better statistically than Mr Biden against Mr Trump.

Congressional Republicans argued that Biden should resign the office immediately, which would turn the White House over to Ms Harris and put House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, next in line in succession.

“If he’s incapable of running for president, how is he capable of governing right now? I mean, there is five months left in this administration. It’s a real concern, and it’s a danger to the country,” Mr Johnson told CNN before Mr Biden’s announcement.

Mr Johnson, in a separate interview on ABC, signalled that Republicans would likely try to mount legal challenges to Democrats’ move to replace Biden on the ballot.

Mr Biden’s s team had hoped a strong performance at the June 27th debate would ease concerns over his age. It did the opposite.

Donors began to revolt and supporters of Ms Harris began to coalesce around her. Top Democrats, including former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a long-time ally, told Mr Biden he could not win the election. – Reuters/Bloomberg