Who will replace Joe Biden as he steps aside? | US News

July 21, 2024 TruthUSA

The Democratic Party is currently seeking a new candidate to run for president following Joe Biden’s announcement of stepping down.

In a statement directed to “my fellow Americans”, he expressed that serving as president had been the “greatest honour of my life”.

Speculation has been rife about whether the 81-year-old would run again due to age and fitness concerns.

In the wake of his disastrous debate performance last month, his team worked to calm unrest within the Democratic Party.

However, he has confirmed that he will complete his term as president but will not seek re-election.

Let’s explore potential candidates to challenge Donald Trump for the presidency.

Vice President Kamala Harris

Biden has endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the upcoming presidential election.

In a statement, he praised Harris as an “extraordinary partner” and backed her nomination.

He declared, “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.

“Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”

Previously, the Biden campaign had been evaluating the potential of Kamala Harris’s candidacy against Donald Trump in a new poll, as reported by Sky News’ partner network NBC News.

Harris, aged 59, is the first female vice president and has had a career filled with firsts and breakthroughs.

She was born in Oakland to immigrant parents, with her father coming from Jamaica to become an esteemed economist at Stanford University and her mother being a cancer researcher who immigrated from India.

Known as a pragmatic trailblazer, Harris has progressed from a local prosecutor to California’s state attorney general and then to US senator before becoming Biden’s running mate in 2020.

She enjoys high name recognition and strong polling among potential Democratic candidates, as per sources within the Biden campaign who spoke to Reuters.

If she decides to run for president, she will inherit the funds raised by the Biden campaign and its campaign infrastructure, providing a solid foundation.

However, her personal approval ratings might pose a challenge. A recent poll showed Harris with a 29% favourability rating, 49% unfavourability rating, and 22% having no opinion or knowledge of her.

Gavin Newsom

California governor Gavin Newsom, aged 56, is a prominent figure in the Democratic Party and is among the names being considered as a potential successor in the near or distant future.

Despite calls to replace Biden, Newsom has consistently declined and stated that he will not challenge Harris for the presidency.

Before entering politics, he had a career in the business sector, including restaurants and hotels.

Newsom gained national attention while serving as mayor of San Francisco when he began issuing same-sex marriage licenses, defying state law at the time.

With a landslide victory in 2019, he became California’s governor, showcasing a strong voice within the party and adept debating skills. However, critics point to his weak track record on several key issues in the state, such as homelessness, drug problems, immigration, law enforcement, high taxes, and more.

Gretchen Whitmer

Gretchen Whitmer’s rapid rise from law school graduate to Michigan’s governor over the past two decades has positioned her as a key figure in the Democratic Party.

In 2022, her status was solidified with a resounding re-election and the Democrats gaining control of both state legislature chambers for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Whitmer has been advocating for abortion access in her role as co-chair of the Biden campaign, supporting his stance on the issue despite his lackluster debate performance on reproductive rights.

She holds Trump responsible for inciting political hatred that led to an FBI-intercepted plot to abduct and kill her in 2020.

When asked if she would consider running for president this year in case Biden steps down, she firmly replied, “No”.

Josh Shapiro

“Get s*** done” is Josh Shapiro’s campaign slogan for his approach to governance in Pennsylvania.

The governor is an up-and-coming figure in the Democratic Party and is viewed as one of the governors positioning themselves for a White House run in 2028 – before Biden’s issues arose.

Despite his allegiance to the president, the 50-year-old son of a physician and former legislator and attorney general has supported Biden.

Shapiro stated on CNN, “While Joe Biden had

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