Harris presumed favorite replace Biden, but other names wait in the wings

Vice President Kamala Harris is the presumed favorite to top the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden told the country he will not seek reelection Sunday. 

Harris has received the support of multiple Democrats to succeed Biden, but not everyone in the party has guaranteed their support for her just yet, and Biden’s dropping of his 2024 bid does not guarantee her the spot at the top of the ticket.

Biden’s delegates are not legally required to stick to the vice president, leaving the door open for other nominees to try their luck at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19.

Here is what we know about Harris and the other candidates who could throw their hats in the ring to supplant Biden.

Kamala Harris

Considered by many Democrats to be the natural heir to Biden given her role as vice president, Harris is the front-runner in the race to supersede the president. Propelled to national prominence after Biden selected her as his running mate nearly four years ago, Harris confirmed she was ready and willing to serve as president last September.

Asked by CBS if she was prepared to lead the nation if Biden couldn’t, she said, “Yes, I am, if necessary.” 

Earlier in July, Biden praised Harris as his potential successor, telling an audience at the 115th NAACP National Convention that “she’s not only a great vice president; she could be president of the United States.” 

Multiple Democratic leaders, from Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) to Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), have stated they would support a Harris candidacy if Biden stepped aside.

If Harris were to clinch the Democratic nomination and defeat Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in November, she would be the U.S.’s first-ever female president.

Gavin Newsom

The Democratic governor of the most populous state in the nation, Newsom is considered one of the party’s biggest stars.

While Newsom’s name has been widely floated as an option at the top of the Democratic ticket, the California governor hasn’t jumped at the bait. Although he’s a prolific fundraiser for his party and built a national profile campaigning for Democrats across the country, he’s repeatedly denied he wants to make a run in 2024. 

Newsom has been a longtime and avid supporter of Biden and has said he will support Harris in the scenario that Biden steps aside. While hypothetically he could still be a vice presidential candidate for Harris, the fact that she, too, hails from California makes that scenario highly unlikely.

Gretchen Whitmer

While Michigan’s Democratic governor has also been rumored to be a Biden replacement, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) has fought to put the speculation to bed. At the end of June, the governor said she didn’t have any ambitions other than a desire to finish out her term as governor, which doesn’t end until 2027.

Whitmer has been supportive of Harris, refusing to rule out serving as her running mate. “I’ll never say never,” she told ABC hosts on July 9. She added that being Harris’s VP pick wasn’t necessarily “something I am angling for.”

While two women running together at the top of the ticket would be unprecedented, Whitmer representing Michigan could help Democrats win the crucial swing state this November.

Josh Shapiro

As the popular Democratic governor in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) is a leading candidate to step into Biden’s shoes. Ushered into the national limelight after high-profile incidents, most recently the attempted assassination of Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, the governor garnered praise for his response to the shooting, with one Pennsylvania Democrat telling NBC News, “He sounds presidential.” 

At the start of 2023, Shapiro said he didn’t want to run for president this election cycle, saying he wanted to finish out his term as governor. “I’ll serve all four years,” he told KDKA-TV. However, given his top-dog status in a swing state critical to pulling off a victory this November, Shapiro could be in the vice presidential lineup. 

JB Pritzker

The governor of Illinois has attracted his party’s attention as a champion of progressive causes. After he was sworn into office in 2019, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) padded his resume by focusing on issues ranging from legalizing marijuana to expanding abortion rights. In 2022, he fueled speculation he would mount a presidential run for 2024, later dropping his name from consideration after endorsing Biden.

The Illinois billionaire was one of Biden’s top surrogates on the campaign trail and will lead his state in hosting the Democratic National Convention in August. Because of his strong support for the Biden-Harris ticket up to this point, it is unclear whether Pritzker would be open to being selected as vice president.

Andy Beshear

Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) has earned praise for winning two straight gubernatorial elections as a Democrat in a conservative state. However, the Kentuckian likely lacks the national profile needed to clinch a presidential victory.

Given the time crunch Democrats find themselves in between now and November to pull off a presidential victory, Beshear may have to wait his turn until the 2028 election cycle should he have national aspirations.

Roy Cooper

Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) has served as governor of North Carolina since 2017, and he will replaced at the end of this year. While he isn’t at the top of strategists’ picks to replace Biden, top Democrats have fueled speculation he could serve as vice president. 

Earlier this month, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean, publicly floated Cooper’s name as a perfect running mate for Harris. 

“I see Kamala Harris and I would hope Roy Cooper … the governor of North Carolina, who’s not running again. I think it will be actually easier for us to win North Carolina,” Dean told CNN. “So, I would favor a Harris/Cooper ticket, and I think we would pick up North Carolina as a result.”

Wes Moore

The dynamic governor of Maryland captured the nation’s attention after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in his state. Moore garnered praise for his speedy response to the mammoth disaster, and his youth and charisma could make him an attractive option for the Democratic Party.

However, with less than two years of gubernatorial experience under his belt and a weaker national profile than many of his peers, Moore’s chances of becoming a vice presidential pick are higher than leading the top of his party’s ticket.