US President Joe Biden’s announcement that he is not seeking re-election has left Democratic leaders with a key dilemma: Should the Democratic Party throw its support behind Vice President Kamala Harris en masse or allow for an open and competitive convention in August?
>>> In context: Kamala Harris thanks Biden for his support and confirms that she wants to be a candidate
After announcing his resignation from the campaign, Biden was clear in giving his explicit support to Harris, but other important members of the party, such as former President Barack Obama (2009-2017), the influential Californian congresswoman Nancy Pelosi or the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, have not expressed their sympathy for anyone.
Harris issued a statement on Sunday thanking Biden for his support in her bid to be the Democratic candidate for the presidential nomination and confirmed that she will run for the nomination, which is traditionally made official at the National Convention, which will take place this year between August 19 and 22 in Chicago.
“It is an honor to have the support of the president and my intention is to win and obtain this nomination.“, he said in a statement.
Who supports Kamala Harris?
Former President Bill Clinton (1993-2001) and former presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave their support to Harris shortly after Biden’s historic announcement that he would not seek re-election, following several weeks of internal pressure for him to make way for someone more capable of beating Republican Donald Trump.
“It’s time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we have to get her elected. The future of America depends on it.”“the Clintons said in a statement that contrasts with Obama’s.
The latter called on the Democratic Party to nominate an “extraordinary candidate” for the November elections, but in his message he avoided endorsing the vice president.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a statement that also made no mention of his support for Harris, who is nonetheless the best positioned to win the nomination within a month.
Because the campaign was registered with the Federal Election Commission as Biden-Harris, the vice president will be able to use those funds for her presidential campaign, according to Kenneth Gross, an expert consultant on election finance issues.
A source connected to Democratic donors told MSNBC that Harris’s presidential bid will trigger a “blue wave of donations“millions for his campaign, after major Democratic contributors said they would not put up any money if Biden remained in the race.
So far, no one has declared their intention to challenge Harris, who, according to some polls, is getting better voting intentions against Trump than Biden.
A CBS poll last week gave Trump a three-point lead over Harris and five over Biden.
The only alternative to Harris who consistently polls better than Trump is another woman of color: Michelle Obama.
This tumultuous election is unprecedented since 1968, when Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated and Lyndon B. Johnson, who had suffered a heart attack and had no chance of winning against Republican Richard Nixon, withdrew.
>>> See also: This is the letter with which Joe Biden announced that he is leaving the presidential race
Source: https://www.noticiascaracol.com/mundo/democratas-en-estados-unidos-en-un-dilema-apoyar-a-harris-o-permitir-convencion-abierta-rg10
