Chaos among Democrats

Who could replace Joe Biden as candidate

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/AP, AFP)

Despite President Joe Biden's disastrous performance in the first TV duel before the election in November, the heavyweights of the US Democrats are still backing the 81-year-old. However, rumors of Biden's withdrawal are growing louder and names of possible replacement candidates are being mentioned more and more frequently. An overview: 

Kamala Harris
The 59-year-old seems an obvious choice - as Vice President, she would take over the duties of Head of State in the event of Biden's death. The daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother is a pioneer: she was the first woman to hold the office of Vice President, and no incumbent before Harris was black. A few years earlier, the lawyer was the first woman and first black woman to become Attorney General of her home state of California.

Kamala Harris might not always be completely convincing as Vice President under Joe Biden. Nevertheless, she is considered to have the best chances as a replacement candidate.

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As a prosecutor, Harris has earned a reputation for being tough - she could use this to her advantage in the election campaign, which is likely to revolve around immigration and crime. However, some Democrats have also criticized her harsh sentences for underage offenders, saying they disproportionately affect members of minority groups.

However, there is no rule that a vice presidential candidate is also the designated successor as a presidential candidate. The former Senator Harris has only a pitiful approval rating, which is why the Democrats could look for another option if the worst comes to the worst.

Gavin Newsom
The name of the Governor of California keeps cropping up in discussions about a possible successor to Biden. The 56-year-old was once mayor of San Francisco and has governed the most populous state in the USA for five years. Among other things, he has made California a haven for those seeking an abortion. So far, Newsom has always backed Biden - but at the same time he has never made a secret of his own presidential ambitions.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has made no secret of his ambitions to run for the presidency one day.

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In recent months, Newsom has been traveling internationally, running multiple advertisements touting his accomplishments and investing millions in a committee to support his campaign. This has fueled speculation that he intends to run for the US presidency in 2028 - so why not 2024?

Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan is one of the so-called swing states in which neither the Democrats nor the Republicans can count on a clear victory and which will ultimately be decisive for the outcome of the presidential election on November 5. For the supporters of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, this is a strong argument in favor of her candidacy.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has repeatedly emerged as a fierce critic of Donald Trump. So far, however, she has vehemently rejected rumors of a possible candidacy.

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The 52-year-old is a fierce critic of Republican former President Donald Trump. She was even the target of a planned kidnapping by a right-wing militia. Her state is home to many black and Arab-American voters as well as many working-class voters - sections of the population that Biden has so far struggled to woo.

Whitmer herself has rejected talk of a candidacy. She is "100 percent" behind Biden in the fight against Trump, she said.

Josh Shapiro
As Governor of Pennsylvania, 51-year-old Josh Shapiro governs the largest swing state. Before taking office as governor in early 2023, Shapiro was twice elected Attorney General in Pennsylvania.

Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania, is considered a charismatic and brilliant speaker. Even liberal Republicans supported him in his election campaign to prevent Trump's allies from winning.

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In this office, for example, he took action against Purdue Pharma, the producer of the highly addictive painkiller Oxycontin. Shapiro is a forceful speaker and an avowed centrist - both qualities could lead him to seek office at a national level.

Other candidates - and what about Michelle Obama?
In addition to those mentioned, the names of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, his counterpart in Maryland, Wes Moore, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear are circulating. However, the chances of the three governors do not seem particularly good. The names of Senator Amy Klobuchar and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg have also already been mentioned in the discussion about a possible Biden successor.

According to the polls, Michelle Obama would have a good chance against Donald Trump - but she has repeatedly emphasized publicly that she is not seeking political office.

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Former First Lady Michelle Obama, who is a shining light for many Democrats, is also repeatedly mentioned. However, she has consistently emphasized in the past that she is not a political person and has never been interested in the presidency.