WASHINGTON — President Biden triggered a last-minute political earthquake Sunday by announcing he won’t seek a second term — just days before Democratic delegates were due to nominate him — setting in motion a chaotic period to replace him.
Biden, 81, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place atop the party’s ticket in the Nov. 5 election, but there’s no guarantee she will be easily coronated ahead of the Aug. 19-22 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Harris, 59, has irked fellow Democrats with her performance at Biden’s “border czar” — presiding over record-breaking illegal immigration — and has drawn criticism for her frequently awkward public appearances.
And detractors note Harris’s frequent “word salads” and badly bungled campaign for the 2020 nomination, in which she dropped out ahead of primaries and caucuses due to floundering, single-digit support in polls.
VIRTUAL VOTING BEGINS IN DAYS
The Democratic National Committee has not yet set a date for virtual voting, but said in a letter last week that it would begin no earlier than Aug. 1 ahead of an Ohio ballot-access deadline on Aug. 7.
Harris’ performance in the virtual roll call is likely to set the tone for the party’s upcoming convention, where she in theory still could be toppled if delegates re-open voting due to fears about her candidacy.
WILL BIDEN RESIGN?
Biden could add momentum to Harris’ candidacy by giving her the mantle of incumbency — thereby making her America’s first female president — ahead of the election, though there’s no indication yet he will do so.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) immediately called on Biden to resign after he threw in the towel over concerns about his mental fitness.
Steven Nelson
“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough,” Johnson said.
DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGERS TO HARRIS?
Harris could face substantial challenges from fellow leading Democrats — especially if there are signs of her faltering in the coming month.
Leading Democrats in Washington have bandied about names such as Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Andy Beshear of Kentucky — who would off voters a fresh face without the political baggage of the Biden-Harris administration.
Voters consistently rank top concerns as the economy — including inflation topping 20% since Biden and Harris took office and high interest rates — and illegal immigration, which is expected to be major line of attack against Harris by Trump, 78.