What Happens Now With the Democratic Nomination After Biden’s Withdrawal

Credit: Unsplash

With President Joe Biden announcing that he will not seek reelection, the Democratic nomination process is set to shift. Biden, who initially secured nearly all the delegates during the primary process, has left his supporters in a unique position.

Under party rules, these delegates are now free to choose a new nominee. Vice President Kamala Harris, who received Biden’s endorsement on Sunday, is the expected frontrunner. Many Democratic delegates and party members have already rallied around her. Harris has enough support to win the nomination, though this support is not yet binding.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) plans to finalize the nomination process by August 7, well before the convention begins. This expedited timeline is intended to avoid a lengthy contest and unify the party.

Potential new candidates must declare their interest by filing a formal declaration and collecting at least 300 delegate signatures, with no more than 50 from any single state. The deadline for this declaration is expected to be by the end of this week.

The nomination vote is anticipated to start by August 1, depending on how many candidates meet the requirements. A candidate must secure a majority of pledged delegates—1,976 out of 3,949—to win the nomination. Votes from superdelegates, who are senior Democrats, will only count on the first ballot if a candidate has already achieved majority support from pledged delegates.

Harris will also choose her running mate, typically without a separate roll call vote, as the vice presidential pick is usually nominated by acclamation.

While there may be concerns about potential legal challenges from Republicans, experts believe that the Democratic nominee will have no trouble appearing on all state ballots. Major parties generally enjoy automatic ballot access, avoiding the need for signature collection.