By: Cynthia He

After Biden’s performance at the recent debate, Democrats have started wondering if he could be replaced at the top of the Democratic Party presidential ticket.

July 1, 2024
By Cynthia He

Even before the debate between Biden and Trump, on June 27, Democrats had worries about Biden’s age affecting his mental and cognitive health.

After the debate, those concerns have grown even more. Now, almost 75% of voters in the U.S. think that Biden doesn’t have the mental and cognitive health for another term.

Many have also started to question if it is possible for Biden to be replaced on the Democratic Party presidential ticket. The answer is complicated. But it is possible, only if he decides to step down.

If Biden leaves the race, all his pledged delegates would no longer have to vote for him. Biden would be unable to have them vote for someone he chooses; therefore, the pledged delegates would be free to vote for whoever they would like. That would cause political issues with other candidates trying to win their votes.

The Democrats have time to figure out who would be their next nominee if Biden steps down.

Typically, the debates between the two candidates would be just weeks before the election. But this year, the first debate was held before the nomination convention in August, when each party picks their final nominee.

Some possible nominees that may be chosen in this case are Vice President Kamala Harris, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, and Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Overall, it is unlikely that Biden would step down from the election. He and his top advisors have announced that he will keep running until November.

“I’m the sitting President of the United States. I’m the nominee of the Democratic party. I’m staying in the race,” Joe Biden tweeted.

CBS News:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-debate-should-biden-be-running-mental-abilities/
The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/29/if-biden-drops-out-how-choose-democrat-candidate-replace
The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/28/us/politics/replace-biden.html
X:
https://x.com/JoeBiden/status/1809310761933525304