US presidential election 2024: 7 Democrats who could replace Joe Biden if he leaves race

Biden’s age has become a cause of concern among many voters, including some who are inclined to back him over former President Donald Trump.

Through it all, Biden has defended his re-election bid, argued that his age is an asset, pushed back against the special counsel report, and articulated why he should be reelected – pointing to accomplishments like the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act and touting the low national employment numbers.

Haley vows to stay in 2024 race, calls Trump ‘unstable and unhinged’

What does this all mean? Biden is unlikely to leave the race, especially as he romped in the South Carolina Democratic primary earlier this month and is committed to a likely rematch with Trump. But speculation about whether he’ll bow out of the contest continues to swirl.

In the event that Biden does somehow bow out during the primaries after gaining a majority of the 3,936 delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination, a new nominee would have to be selected at the DNC convention in Chicago this August. But it’d be a messy process given that the primaries are already under way.

Virtually every major Democratic governor or senator is behind the president’s re-election bid and long ago dismissed the thought of replacing him on the ballot this year.

But who might potentially be a Biden successor if such a scenario were to occur?

Vice-President Kamala Harris

Harris by many measures would be a natural successor to Biden.

As vice-president, she’s worked closely with Biden on everything from voting rights to foreign policy. She was previously a San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general, and California senator who is a historic figure in her own right as the first Black, Indian-American, and female vice-president.

And she has become the face of the administration’s challenge to the raft of Republican-crafted abortion restrictions following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe vs Wade.

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But Harris previously launched a 2020 presidential bid that seemed promising but fell flat with voters over time. (She eventually ended her campaign before the start of the primaries and caucuses.)

As vice-president, Harris has been heavily praised by Biden. However, her office struggled with turnover and reports of dysfunction earlier in her term.

And she has also had to contend with less-than-ideal approval ratings, which have raised concerns among some Democrats about her electability as the party also looks to 2028 – when she’d be a potential front runner given her positive marks with Black voters and young voters.

California Governor Gavin Newsom

Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor and California lieutenant governor, leads the largest state in the country and in recent years has become one of Biden’s most prominent Democratic surrogates.

California is often used as a foil by national Republicans to contrast with the conservative policies of states like Florida and Texas. But Newsom has been outspoken in not only promoting the Golden State, but touting Democratic policy stances and legislative wins – and he’s not afraid to take his arguments straight to the Republican Party.

As governor, Newsom in recent years has taken on more moderate stances on issues involving labour and tackling homelessness in his state.

Newsom’s political trajectory could potentially collide with that of Harris, his fellow Bay Area native, but they’ve long maintained a strong working relationship and the governor has been highly complimentary of her work with Biden.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Whitmer, the two-term governor of battleground Michigan, is accustomed to tough political fights. And over the course of her governorship, she has won a lot of those battles: Democrats in recent years have performed strongly in the Wolverine State, holding every top statewide office and flipping control the state legislature in the 2022 midterm elections.

When Whitmer ran for re-election in 2022 against Republican Tudor Dixon, she won by nearly 11 points, reflective of her broad appeal with the electorate in a state where the margins are often tight.

This fall, Michigan is expected to be one of the closest states in the country in the presidential race. And Whitmer, a former state lawmaker and ex-prosecutor, is set to be a critical voice for the Biden campaign across Michigan.

The governor has encouraged Biden to speak more forcefully about abortion rights, an issue that has galvanised many voters – but especially women – across the country after Roe was overturned.

In a potential field without Biden, Whitmer’s Midwestern background, strong alliance with organised labour, and moderate appeal could make her a strong contender. But she would also be a new face in a contest that will likely feature Trump on the Republican side.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar

Klobuchar, who’s served in the Senate since 2007, ran for president in 2020 and made a surprisingly strong finish in the New Hampshire primary – even outperforming Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at the time.

But her campaign wasn’t able get the sort of momentum it needed in the South Carolina primary for her to continue her bid, and she exited the race.

Still, Klobuchar would be a candidate to watch in an open field, as she boosted her national presence in the primary and could point to a long-standing record of bipartisan accomplishments representing Minnesota in the Senate.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker

Booker also ran for president in 2020, ending his campaign in January that year.

But the former Newark mayor has been a national figure for years and is seen as a likely 2028 contender.

He could easily jump-start a potential 2028 campaign in South Carolina, as he campaigned throughout the state in 2019 and 2020.

In a scenario where Democrats would have to choose a candidate other than Biden, he would likely be a part of the conversation.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper

Cooper isn’t a big name among Democratic voters outside North Carolina, at least not yet. The former state lawmaker, one-time North Carolina attorney general, and current two-term governor rose through the ranks of government and along the way navigated political divides that would bedevil most politicians.

In a Republican-leaning state where Democratic candidates have to compete on tricky terrain, Cooper, a moderate, has come out on top.

Democrats have not tapped a Southern governor as their presidential nominee since Bill Clinton in 1992. Looking to the future, likely in 2028, Cooper is someone that is poised to be on the minds of many in the party.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore

Moore, a US Army veteran and Rhodes Scholar, was first elected to the governorship in 2022. He has focused heavily on tackling issues like child poverty and housing affordability, two of the most vexing public policy challenges for leaders on both the state and federal levels.

One of Moore’s major pushes is to reshape how patriotism is defined in politics, as he told Insider during his first gubernatorial campaign that one party or movement cannot claim the ideal as their own.

“I refuse to let anybody try to wrestle that away,” Moore told Business Insider in an October 2022 interview, “or claim that they have a higher stake or some higher claim to it than I or my family or people who I served with or my community members”.

The governor, seen by many as a potential 2028 contender, has been a strong political ally of both Biden and Harris.

While Moore may be relatively new to elective politics, his profile only continues to grow within the Democratic Party.