US President Biden announced on Sunday local time that he will no longer seek the Democratic nomination, stating that dropping out of the race for re-election is in the best interest of the Democratic Party and the country. Biden supports his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.

How will the nomination process for Harris' campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in the United States proceed?

After Biden's withdrawal, the Democratic Party still needs to officially nominate its presidential candidate at the National Convention beginning on August 19.

From January to June, in primaries and caucuses held in various states and territories, Biden obtained 99% of the pledged delegates who had already committed to supporting the candidate at the Democratic National Convention.

Biden's decision to provide full support and endorsement to Harris will undoubtedly have a significant impact on Democratic Party delegates. Harris said she was honored to receive the endorsement of the President and will strive to win the Democratic nomination.

Can other people challenge Harris?

Yes. In this case, the process of selecting the nominee would become a so-called contested convention. Any challenger to Harris must announce their intention to run and launch a public challenge before the formal nomination vote.

In the first round of voting, only pledged delegates can vote; a simple majority is needed to win the nomination. After the first round of voting, 700 superdelegates can vote. This group includes members of Congress, party leaders, and other party officials who have not pledged to any candidate.

Why is Harris the top choice candidate?

One reason is that she is Biden's running mate, and she and her running mate can directly use the campaign funds they have raised. Modern presidential campaigns are a hugely expensive business, and financial strength plays a significant role. Biden's campaign team and the Democratic Party have already invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the election.

Harris can access all the campaign funds raised by the Biden-Harris duo. Prior to Biden's announcement of withdrawal on Sunday, his campaign team had $96 million in cash on hand, with last month's major spending exhausting about 93% of the fundraising in June. As of the end of June, Biden's campaign had spent $0.243 billion on the campaign, with no signs of slowing down in July.

Choosing a nominee other than Harris may require more money and introduce a new candidate to voters. Possible candidates include California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. According to CBS News on Sunday, Newsom and Whitmer have no plans to seek the nomination. None of them are as well-known nationally as Harris.

In addition, if the Democratic Party skips over a woman of color, it may alienate two of the most important voting blocs within the party.

Has there been an instance before of an incumbent president dropping out of the race for re-election?

Yes. The most recent example was President Lyndon Johnson. As protests against the Vietnam War intensified, he decided not to seek re-election in 1968. In a surprise announcement in the Oval Office, Johnson declared, "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President." The Democratic Party later nominated Hubert Humphrey, who was defeated in the election by Republican Richard Nixon.

Johnson's withdrawal was in late March, and the schedule for the nomination process was not set as early as it is now. In addition, unlike Biden, Johnson had not yet secured enough delegate votes to win the nomination.

Harris takes the baton in the campaign and consolidates support within the party.

After President Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race and turned to support Vice President Harris, the latter publicly expressed her gratitude for Biden's support and said she hoped to win the Democratic Party's nomination for president. We will do everything we can to unite the Democratic Party and our country to beat Trump.

Multiple sources report that Harris' campaign staff, allies, and supporters have begun calling Democratic delegates to secure their support for Harris before the August National Convention. This outreach effort began shortly after Biden withdrew from the race. About 4,000 Democratic delegates will attend the convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22 to select the Democratic nominee, most of whom have previously supported Biden. After Biden's sudden withdrawal, they can support anyone. Although Biden is the presumptive nominee, he does not have the power to choose the official nominee.

Harris needs the support of 1969 of the 3,936 Democratic delegates to ensure her nomination at the August convention. Abortion rights organizations, including Emily's List and Reproductive Freedom for All, have been contacting delegates to win support for Harris.

Following Biden's announcement of withdrawing from the 2024 US presidential race, two major Democratic donors - Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and partner at venture capital firm Greylock Partners, and financial tycoon George Soros - publicly endorsed Alexander Soros, their successor, in supporting Harris as the next presidential candidate.

Editor/Somer