Two paths for Democrats to pick a new nominee after Biden drops out
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 12: DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison is joined by business and political leaders during a lakeside event held to announce that Chicago was chosen to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention on April 12, 2023 in Chicago, Illin
Joe Biden bowed out of the presidential race Sunday, effectively breaking the internet and stunning many across the nation. He quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him on the Democratic ticket, but her position as the presumptive nominee is not guaranteed.
The Democratic National Convention has two paths for moving forward and selecting a new candidate.
The first is a virtual vote that would select and lock in a new nominee before the convention in Chicago, which begins on Aug. 19.
The second option is one that neither party has faced since 1968: an "open" convention.
WHAT IS AN OPEN CONVENTION?
An open convention is when no clear leader has won the majority of delegates, so they can vote for whomever they want.
It opens the door to a chaotic scramble where candidates who don't have much of a shot muddy the waters by throwing their hat in the ring.
Notably, Biden said, that while the delegates were "free to do whatever they want" as part of the democratic process, "it’s not going to happen."
He's probably right that party leaders will want to avoid a messy open convention and secure a nominee sooner rather than later.
From left, Democratic National Convention Executive Director Alex Hornbrook, Chicago Chief Operating Officer John Roberson and DNC host committee Executive Director Christy George address the City Club of Chicago on Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Chicag
During a typical convention, delegates vote for a particular presidential candidate at the DNC based on the results of the primary or caucus in their state. They usually vote for whoever won the primary in their state, in order to preserve the will of the voters, but a "good conscience clause" in the party rules does leave them a little leeway.
But now that Biden has dropped out, all his delegates are free agents, and they can choose any candidate without taking voters' preferences into account. Biden's nearly 3,900 delegates are not required to back Harris, although they may put more weight behind his endorsement. Any candidate would need 1,976 to secure the nomination.
Biden out: Read his letter announcing withdrawal from the 2024 race
President Joe Biden is dropping out of the 2024 race, throwing the Democratic Party into chaos just months before the election.
If no single candidate gets the majority on the first ballot, they will continue to vote and prompt more than 700 superdelegates to join in voting on the second and any subsequent ballots.
Between now and any vote, virtual or otherwise, Democratic delegates can expect multiple backroom conversations, allies jockeying to rally votes to their candidate, and pressure from political brokers with pull.
Besides Kamala Harris, who also secured California Gov. Gavin Newsom's endorsement on Sunday, other names are being floated as possible contenders, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
DNC 1968 CONVENTION
The last time either party saw an open convention was in 1968, when incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson dropped out of the race, amid unrest over his pro-Vietnam stance by anti-war protesters. Tension continued to rise after the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
Hubert Humphrey eventually emerged as the Democratic nominee, winning with a strategy of focusing on delegates from non-primary states.
The pick kicked off violent protests just outside convention doors by anti-war protesters, who clashed with the Secret Service, police officers, the Illinois National Guard and Army forces.
As in 1968, Chicago is once again the host city for the DNC and a convention that could be starting under a cloud of uncertainty. But DNC chair Jaime Harrison vowed a "transparent and orderly" process for the new nominee.
"The work that we must do now, while unprecedented, is clear," Harrison said.
It's still possible the party comes together behind a single candidate before the convention begins without requiring a vote, in order to avoid a chaotic event and appear unified.
But the clock is ticking and time is of the essence if they are going to rally around a nominee that the Democrats agree can beat Donald Trump.
The Associated Press and KTVU political reporter Greg Lee contributed to this report. This story was reported out of Oakland, Calif.