Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison promised to have a “transparent and orderly process” to select President Biden’s replacement as the presumptive nominee for president after his unprecedented decision to step down from the ticket on Sunday.
Without delving into how the process would unfold, Harrison promised that the party would adhere to its rules now that Biden has announced he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
“The work that we must do now, while unprecedented, is clear,” Harrison said. “In the coming days, the Party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
“This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the Party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people,” he added.
Harrison had been Biden’s pick to helm the DNC and had publicly stood by the president amid the mutiny by his own party.
Just after releasing his letter to the public announcing his political earthquake decision to withdraw, Biden formally endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place.
“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 posted on X.
Harrison eschewed any mention of that endorsement in his statement.
Democratic mutineers had splintered over whether to tap Harris as the nominee or move toward some sort of open process. Harrison did not specify how the next phases of the nomination will work.
The party had been planning to coronate Biden as the standard bearer via a virtual roll call in the coming weeks.
Its convention is slated to take place in Chicago from Aug. 19-22.
“Democrats are prepared and united in our resolve to win in November,” he went on. “In short order, the American people will hear from the Democratic Party on [the] next steps and the path forward for the nomination process.”
Biden had clinched the sufficient delegates needed to secure re-election. His decision to withdraw at this stage – just four months until Election Day – is unprecedented.
The president has said that he will “speak to the nation later this week in more detail” about his decision to withdraw.