Who to replace Biden?

Joe Biden, who has just thrown in the towel, announced on Sunday that he supports his vice-president Kamala Harris to become the new Democratic candidate & in the November election, a natural but not automatic replacement.

Overview of the names that are circulating.

– Kamala Harris –

United States Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign rally in Manassas, Virginia, United States, January 23, 2024 © AFP – SAUL LOEB

She stands out as the most obvious choice, and Joe Biden has offered her his support: Vice President Kamala Harris, already set to succeed the president in the event of his death or incapacity, is very well positioned to be chosen by the Democrats.

A serial pioneer, this daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother was the first woman and the first black person to become attorney general of California, then the first senator of South Asian origin.

From her career as a magistrate, she retains a reputation for toughness that she could bring to bear in a campaign where crime issues weigh heavily.

Some progressives, however, criticize him for having punished minor crimes harshly, which particularly affected minorities.

The 59-year-old vice-president also suffers from a declining popularity rating, which could push Democrats to rally around another candidate.

– Gavin Newsom –

There is no rule that the running mate automatically replaces the incumbent candidate. This is why the name of the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, was also mentioned with insistence before the withdrawal was announced.

California Governor Gavin Newsom in Atlanta on June 27, 2024 © AFP – CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA

The 56-year-old Democrat, former mayor of San Francisco, has led the most populous state in the country for five years, making California a sanctuary for abortion rights.

If the man with the well-combed locks has continued to support Joe Biden in recent weeks, he maintains only relative mystery about his presidential ambitions.

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The governor has recently increased his trips abroad, broadcast advertising spots touting his record without restraint and invested millions of dollars in a political action committee, fueling speculation about a candidacy in 2028. Or from 2024?

– Gretchen Whitmer –

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, in Detroit, May 19, 2024 © AFP – ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

Another possible Democratic candidate: Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

This 52-year-old official leads Michigan, which has both a large working-class population and large black and Arab communities — as many electorates that Joe Biden is currently struggling to attract.

< p>A fierce opponent of Donald Trump, she is known to have been the target of a planned kidnapping by a far-right militia.

The 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 –

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, April 16, 2024 © AFP – ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

At 51 years old, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is at the head of the biggest “swing state”, namely a state with fluctuating political colors depending on the elections and which will play a decisive role in November.

Before accessing this position in 2022, by clearly defeating a radical right competitor supported by Donald Trump, he was twice elected attorney general of Pennsylvania.

In this role, the official denounced sexual assaults committed by Catholic priests against thousands of children, and sued the Purdue laboratory, manufacturer of the potent opiate OxyContin.

Effective speaker and assertive centrist, Josh Shapiro's slogan as governor: “Get shit done”, which can be translated, very freely, as: “Keep the shit moving.”

– The others –

The names of the governors of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker; from Maryland, Wes Moore; and from Kentucky, Andy Beshear; are also circulating, but their chances seem more limited for the moment.

Just like those of Senator Amy Klobuchar or Minister of Transport Pete Buttigieg — both former 2020 presidential candidates.

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