VP Harris top choice to replace Biden in election race if he steps
aside, sources say
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[July 03, 2024]
By Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Kamala Harris is the top
alternative to replace U.S. President Joe Biden if he decides not to
continue his reelection campaign, according to seven senior sources at
the Biden campaign, the White House and the Democratic National
Committee with knowledge of current discussions on the topic.
Biden's fumbling, sometimes-incoherent and widely-panned first-debate
performance against Republican rival Donald Trump last week set off a
wave of panic within the Democratic party over concerns that he may not
be fit enough to serve a second term, and prompted calls for top aides
to resign.
Some influential Democrats have floated alternatives to Biden besides
Harris, including popular cabinet members and Democratic governors like
Gavin Newsom from California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Josh
Shapiro of Pennsylvania. But trying to sidestep Harris is wishful
thinking and would be nearly impossible, these sources, who did not wish
to be named, said.
If named as the party nominee, Harris, 59, would take over money raised
by the Biden campaign and inherit campaign infrastructure, the sources
said. She also has the highest name recognition among all the
alternatives, and the highest polling among Democrats who could
seriously be considered a candidate, the sources said.
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll published Tuesday, Harris trailed Trump by one
percentage point at 42% to 43%, a difference that was well within the
poll's 3.5 percentage point margin of error, a showing statistically
just as strong as Biden's.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Jul/03/images/ads/current/ldn_lda_BUSDIRCOVER_2024.png)
In addition, she has already been vetted for national office and has
survived intense scrutiny from Republicans, they said. Also, U.S.
Representative Jim Clyburn, the man who was key to Biden's 2020 win,
told MSNBC he would support Harris to be the Democratic nominee if Biden
stepped aside.
"It's pretty near impossible to win the nomination over the vice
president," said Michael Trujillo, a Democratic strategist from
California who worked for Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2008 and 2016.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday that
Biden just had a "bad night" at the debate and would continue to make
his case for reelection to the American people. The Biden campaign
deferred to Harris's team for comment on the story.
Harris's aides dismissed any talk of a Democratic ticket that doesn't
include both Biden and Harris. "Vice President Harris looks forward to
serving a second term with President Joe Biden," a statement from her
office said.
Biden's campaign has amassed 3,894 delegates after state primaries,
leaving only a few dozen "uncommitted" delegates outstanding. They are
expected to formally nominate Biden later this month in a virtual
meeting, ahead of the Democrats' nominating convention in August.
"All of the delegates are not just Joe Biden delegates, they are Kamala
Harris delegates," Trujillo said, adding "she will have a sizable
delegation and support in all 50 states on day one," he said.
Donna Brazile, the former interim chair of the Democratic National
Committee, who has a key committee role at this year's Democratic
National Convention in August, said the person who can step in right
away, if Biden decides not to run, is Harris.
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![](../images/070324PIX/news_s43.jpg)
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Constitutional
Convention of UNITE HERE, the nation’s largest hospitality workers'
labor union, in New York City, U.S., June 21, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan
McDermid/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Jul/03/images/ads/current/longview_lda_HEROES_2024.png)
"People may have dreams of another superhero but there is a process
and the last time I checked it's a Biden-Harris ticket, she's number
two on the ticket," Brazile said, adding Biden remains the nominee
for the Democratic party and "is not going anywhere."
Passing over the first Black and woman vice president for another
candidate would lead to a backlash from Black and women voters who
are key to any victory, several Democratic strategists said.
'IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE KAMALA'
Still, Harris has been sidestepped in a lot of the speculation since
the debate because some influential Democrats have little faith she
can beat Trump, four of the sources said.
The United States has never elected a woman president, and Harris
has spent much of her time as vice president struggling to
distinguish herself in a role that is by definition a supporting
one. As recently as last year, many inside the White House and the
Biden campaign privately worried she was a liability for the
campaign.
Since then, Harris has managed to find her stride on the issue of
abortion rights but her polling has not improved significantly.
Harris's approval ratings hover under 40%, but according to recent
polling highlighted by the Biden campaign, she and the president
have similar odds of beating Trump.
The vice president has also been consistently targeted by
Republicans and conservative media in attacks many allies consider
sexist and racist.
Three Democratic donors, who have recently been pushing for Biden to
step aside, also said this week they think it will be "impossible"
to sidestep Harris. The donors had been floating Whitmer and
Newsom's names as possible alternatives until the past weekend.
"There is a real conversation in the Democratic party about
leadership right now, but fair to say, and I'm not thrilled about
this... it will be impossible to ignore Kamala," said one of the
donors.
Another donor said "she's nobody's choice, but yeah, nearly
impossible."
Still, the president's reelection campaign is standing its ground,
emboldened by a stronger performance by Biden during a scripted
speech in North Carolina even as calls for him to step aside grow.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Jul/03/images/ads/current/dreamteammow_sda_060324.png)
Stephanie Cutter, deputy campaign manager for former President
Barack Obama, whose firm is on contract to produce the Democratic
National Convention in August, said "President Biden is the nominee
and he's going to remain the nominee."
"For those who are looking for some sort of interparty fight, be
careful what you wish for because that would ensure a Trump
victory," she said in a statement.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons
and Deepa Babington)
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