Who Could Replace Biden As Democratic Nominee

Democratic lawmakers are calling on President Joe Biden to end his re-election campaign after his botched debate against Republican challenger Donald Trump.

On Wednesday Peter Welch of Vermont became the first Democratic senator to call for the president to end his campaign.

Hollywood actor George Clooney, a major party donor, joined the chorus.

A series of opinion polls since the debate suggest Trump may be edging ahead in key states.

President Biden has continued to insist he's staying in the race. But recent events have raised questions about how he could be replaced - and who would replace him.
 
How could Biden be replaced?
 
Various scenarios could play out over the coming days and weeks, but there's two main ways Mr Biden's campaign could end: he could pull out willingly, or be forced to step aside by his own party.

The first option is more straightforward.

Mr Biden has won the support nearly all of the Democratic delegates who will vote at the party's convention in Chicago in August. If he steps down, they would be released to vote for another candidate. Whoever is able to win a majority of delegates at the convention would be the new nominee.

The second option would be much messier.

Democrats could alter the rules and turn the convention into a free-for-all against the president's wishes.

If President Biden did voluntarily suspend his campaign, he might at the same time throw his support behind a possible successor.

Who would be the leading contenders?
 
Vice-President Kamala Harris
 
Vice-President Kamala Harris, who is already on the ticket, is an obvious and increasingly popular choice within the party to replace Mr Biden.

As his deputy, she has become the face of the administration's campaign to protect reproductive rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.

Ms Harris has proved to be a loyal ally to the president and fiercely defended his debate performance. After the event, she admitted the president had a "slow start" but argued he went on to provide more substantive answers than Trump.

Days after the debate, as concern grew about the president's ability to stay atop the ticket, Ms Harris reiterated her support for Mr Biden.

“Look, Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once and we’re going to beat him again, period,” she said Tuesday.

“I am proud to be Joe Biden’s running mate."

Ms Harris has the strong name recognition that comes from the job of vice- president, but has struggled with low approval ratings throughout her tenure.

Fifty-one percent of Americans disapprove of Ms Harris, while 37% approve, according to polling averages tracked by FiveThirtyEight.
  



BBC