Moments after President Joe Biden announced Sunday he would no longer seek reelection and is ending his 2024 presidential campaign, the president endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination," Harris said in a statement. "Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump."
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While some Democrats were quick to throw their support behind Vice President Harris as the potential presidential nominee, other notable figures in the party weren't so quick to go all-in just yet. Democratic donors like Whitney Tilson have also expressed skepticism about Harris being the automatic choice with President Biden now out of the race.
"I am absolutely emphatically opposed to simply anointing or coordinating Harris as the nominee," Tilson told Scripps News. "I think there would be an absolute outcry among all Democrats at the party bosses or Biden to have a candidate down our throats. I think well of her. I would be happy to support her, but she has to earn it."
However, anyone seeking to unseat Harris would face a serious financial hurdle: getting their hands on tens of millions of dollars in the president's re-election fund. Harris, who as vice presidential candidate shares in those accounts, could take them over with a new running mate. But experts say any other pathway would face legal and logistical challenges.
"If the new ticket does not include Vice President Harris, the rules are different. Campaign committees are subject to federal contribution limits, which limit candidate-to-candidate contributions to $2,000 per election," said Trevor Potter, head of the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center and a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission.
Watch: What happens next?
A new presidential candidate could access the funds if Harris were to agree to remain on the ticket as vice president, Potter said. Otherwise, the campaign could transfer money to official national and state Democratic Party committees — including the DNC — but only some of that money could then be spent in coordination with the presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, any use of that money would require the cooperation of President Biden — and probably Harris as well. Their re-election committee had close to $100 million in cash on hand at the end of June.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention, where a nominee is traditionally formalized, is scheduled for Aug. 19-22 in Chicago. President Biden’s delegates are now free to vote for potential replacements, and while Vice President Harris will presumably contend for the nomination, others could enter the race as well.
Scripps News can confirm that West Virginia Independent Sen. Joe Manchin is considering throwing his hat in the ring. Manchin, who switched party affiliations from Democrat to Independent less than two months ago, would still have to re-register as a Democrat, but has reportedly been fielding many calls about campaigning for the Democratic nominee.
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A Democratic National Committee email sent Sunday promises a "transparent and orderly" selection of a new nominee.
"In the coming days, the Party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party to defeat Donald Trump in November," the email read. "We also know a lot of people are wondering what they can do at this moment to help. The DNC is the one organization best-positioned to move resources where they are needed, when they are needed to defeat Donald Trump AND elect a Democratic House and Senate."
Before Biden announced his decision to drop out, names like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were floated as potential contenders to Harris for the party's nomination, but neither have publicly expressed their intent to campaign for the presidential election.
"With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump's dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President, [Kamala Harris]," said California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
If chosen and elected, Vice President Harris would become the first woman, the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to hold the office of president.
