President Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic Party’s nominee after announcing he would not seek reelection.
At a campaign rally at Girard College in Philadelphia on May 29, 2024, Biden shared his decision.
“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Joe Biden posted on the social platform X. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made.”
Biden continued, “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Joe Biden’s Decision And Endorsement
Initially, Biden’s letter ending his 2024 candidacy did not include an endorsement for Harris, causing immediate speculation about the party’s future. However, his later decision to back Harris gave her a clear advantage to lead the ticket in November.
Harris boasts several advantages: she was on the winning 2020 ticket and received millions of votes in this year’s primaries; she has been campaigning in swing states for months; she is the face of the campaign’s push for abortion access; and she can access the substantial financial resources of the Joe Biden -Kamala Harris campaign.
Several lawmakers had publicly declared they would support Harris if Biden stepped aside. Skipping over the first woman and first woman of color elected vice president for another candidate could lead to significant political backlash.
It remains uncertain if anyone will challenge Harris for the nomination or if Democrats will push for an open convention or a rapid primary before the Democratic National Convention begins on August 19 in Chicago.
Harris faces challenges, including the memory of her 2020 presidential campaign, which flopped despite initial excitement due to internal problems and a lack of a winning message, leading her to drop out before the Iowa caucuses.
Republicans have already begun attacking Harris, labeling her the “border czar” for her work on addressing migration from Central America. They plan to tie her to issues like inflation, which have plagued the Biden administration.
