The fire continues to spread among Democrats over Joe Biden’s ability to win the US presidential election. Since his disastrous debate against Donald Trump on June 27, his fitness has been questioned even within his own camp. Voices among Democrats are even beginning to publicly ask him to throw in the towel.
For now, the White House is doing everything it can to prevent the debate on this possibility from swelling, but without success. But who could replace him for the November election? An overview of the names that are circulating.
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris seems the most obvious choice. The vice president, already set to succeed Joe Biden in the event of his death or incapacity, would be very well positioned to be chosen by Democrats if the president were to step down.
A serial trailblazer, the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother was the first woman and first black person to become California’s attorney general, and then the first senator of South Asian origin. From her career as a judge, she has retained a reputation for toughness that she could bring to bear in a campaign where crime issues loom large.
Some progressives, however, criticize her for harsh punishment for petty crime, which has hurt minorities the most. At 59, she also suffers from anemic approval rating, which could prompt Democrats to rally around another candidate.
Gavin Newsom
There is no rule that says the running mate automatically replaces the incumbent candidate. That is why the name of California Governor Gavin Newsom is also being mentioned insistently.
The 56-year-old Democrat, a former mayor of San Francisco, has led the country’s most populous state for five years, making California a sanctuary for abortion rights. The man with the neatly combed locks of hair has, for the moment, affirmed that the “conversations” around Joe Biden’s state of health were “not good for our democracy”. But he maintains only a relative mystery about his presidential ambitions.
In recent months, the governor has increased his number of trips abroad, broadcast unrestrained advertising spots praising his record and invested millions of dollars in a political action committee, fueling speculation about a candidacy in 2028. Or as early as 2024?
Gretchen Whitmer
Another possible Democratic candidate: Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The 52-year-old is the head of Michigan, which has both a large working-class population and large black and Arab communities, all of which Joe Biden is currently struggling to appeal to. A fierce opponent of Donald Trump, she is known for having been the target of a kidnapping plot by a far-right militia. The state she leads will be one of the most contested for the November presidential election, a strong argument, according to her supporters, for nominating her as the party’s candidate.
Josh Shapiro
At 51, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro leads the largest swing state, a state whose political color fluctuates depending on the election, which will play a decisive role in November.
Before taking office in 2022, by soundly defeating a radical right-wing challenger backed by Donald Trump, he was twice elected attorney general of Pennsylvania. In that role, the official denounced sexual assaults committed by Catholic priests against thousands of children, and prosecuted the Purdue laboratory, maker of the powerful opioid OxyContin.
An effective orator and a confirmed centrist, Josh Shapiro has given himself the slogan of governor: “Get shit done.”
Other names
The names of Illinois governor JB Pritzker; Maryland governor Wes Moore; and Kentucky governor Andy Beshear are also circulating, but their chances seem more limited for the moment. As do those of Senator Amy Klobuchar or Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, both former candidates in the 2020 presidential election.
