President Biden sent shockwaves through the American political landscape on Sunday by announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. His decision leaves the Democratic field in flux, as delegates who had pledged support for his candidacy scramble to find an alternative.
Biden, who faced mounting pressure to step aside and allow a new candidate to lead the party, made the announcement via a post on X. He swiftly offered his full support and endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party’s presidential nominee. However, it remains unclear whether delegates will unanimously shift their support to Harris ahead of next month’s Democratic National Convention.
Two delegates who spoke with Fox News Digital expressed their support for Harris, with a third delegate expressing eagerness to learn more about her plans.
The Democratic National Convention will see a candidate need to secure the majority of the party’s roughly 4,000 delegates in order to be formally nominated. These delegates are allocated to candidates based on the results of primary elections held in each state.
The Democratic Party utilizes both ‘pledged’ and ‘unpledged’ delegates. Pledged delegates are bound to vote for the candidate who won the primary or caucus in their state, while unpledged delegates can vote for any candidate. These unpledged delegates are known as ‘superdelegates’ and include current elected officials and party leaders.
To clinch the Democratic nomination, a candidate needs to secure 1,976 delegates. Biden had won approximately 3,900 delegates through primary elections across the US in recent months. These delegates had been pledged to support Biden’s candidacy, according to DNC rules.
Samantha Hope Herring, a Democratic delegate and elected member of the DNC from Florida, stated that they had been committed to supporting Biden until he provided guidance otherwise. Following his announcement, she expressed their unwavering support for Kamala Harris.
Herring added that the Florida delegation is fully on board with President Biden’s endorsement of Kamala Harris. She believes that Harris’ leadership would continue the agenda set forth by the Biden administration.
Karl Gentles, a Democratic delegate from Arizona, also expressed support for Harris. He praised Biden’s decision as a demonstration of his commitment to putting the country first. Gentles stated that he will be casting his vote for Harris at the DNC convention.
Irene Bonham, a Democratic delegate from Colorado, expressed openness to Harris receiving the presidential nomination. She thanked President Biden for his service and highlighted her admiration for Harris’ intelligence and integrity. Bonham is eager to hear more about Harris’ plans.
While the Democratic National Convention is where the party will officially choose their nominee, they had reportedly planned to nominate Biden and Harris prior to Biden’s announcement. The convention will take place in Chicago from August 19th to 22nd.
