(NewsWorthy.news.com) – Following the recent drop-out of President Joe Biden from the 2024 presidential election, the door remains open for the replacement Democratic nominee.
While an open convention can now be held to place another candidate on the ballot, the party has limited time to make its move. After the July 21 announcement from the White House, the 81-year-old president endorsed his sitting vice president and running mate in his re-election campaign, Kamala Harris, to take his place in the race.
But Democrats only have until August 7 to start submitting names of candidates other than Harris—which puts them at roughly three months until the highly anticipated November election. August 7 is the deadline to put out candidate names in Ohio, which is the earliest date to do so across all 50 states.
According to rules from the Democratic National Convention (DNC), party delegates who are “pledged” to a candidate for president are obligated to “reflect the sentiments” of the people who elected them to their delegate positions. Biden had won nearly 4,000 “pledged” delegates during primary elections and caucuses.
But now that he has dropped out of the race, the delegates previously beholden to Biden will be allowed to back any other candidate who chooses to try and win the White House. Democratic politicians are now able to enter the presidential race and lobby delegates prior to Election Day.
The DNC is scheduled to begin on August 19. Though it was originally expected to come on the tail end of formalizing Biden’s nomination, the event is now believed to host a virtual roll call in which they will decide a new nominee between August 1 and August 7.
Despite Biden’s endorsement of Harris, many have speculated that other prominent Democratic leaders will be held up as presidential candidates. Among the most likely to be put forward are Democratic governors Gavin Newsom (California), Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan), Andy Beshear (Kentucky), JB Pritzker (Illinois), and Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania).
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former first lady Michelle Obama have also been suggested as possible presidential candidates.
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