In a recent revelation, an internal memo from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has surfaced, asserting that President Biden is the sole candidate option for the party and is destined to be its 2024 nominee.
This assertion comes despite the fact that party insiders have acknowledged the possibility of his replacement.
According to The New York Post, the memo states, The only person eligible for nomination is Joe Biden. The only option for delegates is to either vote for Joe Biden or be marked present. It further declares, Joe Biden will be the Democratic Partys nominee for President. The memo dismisses the notion of a brokered DNC convention as a mere distraction, a phenomenon that has not occurred since Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson secured the Democratic nomination on the third ballot in 1952.
However, it is worth noting that both Democrats and Republicans have come close to a brokered process at their respective conventions since the mid-20th century. For instance, during the 1960 Democratic National Convention, then-Sens. John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson competed for delegates support, with Kennedy narrowly securing a majority on the first ballot. Johnson also famously opted not to run for re-election as President in March before the November 1968 general election, leading to a tumultuous few months before delegates chose his Vice President, Hubert Humphrey, as his successor.
Delegates are mandated to cast their votes on the first ballot for the candidate chosen by voters during their partys respective primary. However, if a nominee isn't chosen by a majority on that round, they may consider other candidates. Biden, at 81, would only require 1,968 delegates pledged on his behalf to secure the Democratic nomination, a feat he has already achieved by amassing 3,894 delegates by the end of the primary cycle on June 8.
DNC Chair Jamie Harrison affirmed this, stating, The primary is over, and in every state the will of Democratic voters was clear: Joe Biden will be the Democratic Partys nominee for President. He added, Delegates are pledged to reflect voters sentiment, and over 99% of delegates are already pledged to Joe Biden headed into our convention.
However, if President Biden chooses to voluntarily suspend his re-election campaign before the convention, DNC members would assist in nominating a new presidential candidate. Harrison, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association, would select a replacement based on DNC rules.
The chosen candidate would then receive a vote from DNC members, a more elite group of party leaders, who would either accept or reject the replacement nominee. Biden is scheduled to accept his partys nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22. However, he will technically be placed on the partys ballot several weeks prior during a virtual roll call to ensure that he and Vice President Kamala Harris remain on the general election ballot in the swing state of Ohio.
Should Biden step aside, Harris would naturally emerge as the Democratic Party's choice, given that she is the only candidate who could utilize a $240 million campaign war chest amassed by herself and the President. Biden and Harris have reassured their campaign staff that they are in this race to the end, although the President has reportedly told a close congressional ally that he may withdraw if the campaign doesnt regain momentum in the coming days.
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