President Biden drops out of presidential race: Here’s what is next

WASHINGTON D.C. — President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race just weeks before the Democratic National Convention, and now delegates have to pick a new nominee.

Choosing another Democratic nominee isn’t as simple as removing President Biden from the top of the ticket, according to a previous News Center 7 report.

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Biden’s primary and caucus wins earlier this year secured him the support of nearly 3,900 delegates.

According to the Cox Media Group Washington News Bureau’s Kirstin Garriss, the DNC says Biden is the only person who qualifies for the nomination and its rules state that delegates should follow their states’ voters’ preferences.

During a press conference on July 11, President Biden said delegates can do whatever they want.

“If all of a sudden, I showed up at the convention and everybody said we want somebody else - that’s the Democratic process. It’s not going to happen,” said the President.

Now that Biden has announced he will not run for re-election before the convention, political science experts say there are several possible scenarios.

“We haven’t seen this play out in a long time and Democratic politics or Republican politics for that matter,” said Casey Burgat, assistant professor at George Washington University.

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Burgat said while Vice President Kamala Harris is already on the ticket, she won’t automatically become the next presidential nominee.

On Sunday, President Biden endorsed VP Harris to become the Democrat Party Nominee for the 2024 presidential election.

Delegates could choose her or anyone else.

“She was not on the ballot, it was only a singular person, you were voting for a presidential nominee, and then that authority to pick the running mate goes to the president and (is) confirmed by that convention,” said Burgat.

Burgat said delegates will make the case for a nominee and then vote.

“And the first one to a majority will be the presumptive nominee, or in fact, the official nominee heading into November,” he said.

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If Biden had waited to step down after accepting the Democrat nomination, there would be a different process.

Burgat said the Democratic National Party would consult with Democratic congressional and gubernatorial leaders to select a new nominee.

“So if we’re thinking this is a backroom deal right now headed into Chicago if President Biden drops out, it will literally be party elders selecting their nominee without any sort of down-ballot approval process from voters or even delegates,” said Burgat.

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