Who could replace Joe Biden?

The Democrats are worried that Joe Biden’s campaign troubles could ruin their chances of securing a House majority in the 5 November election. Some have called for Biden to step aside, but if he did, who could replace him?

Kamala Harris

One obvious choice might be Kamala Harris, the first female vice president. A recent CNN poll found voters have Harris only 2 per cent behind Trump in a hypothetical matchup. It found 47 per cent of registered voters support Trump, 45 per cent Harris. But not everyone is keen on Harris leading the Democratic ticket.

Gavin Newsom

So who else could take Biden’s place? Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, maybe. He’s been touted as a potential face of the party for the Democratic presidential nominations in 2028. But despite his dedication to the president, he could be someone who replaces him if he steps down. Newsom has been strong on domestic and foreign policy. He has taken trips to China to strengthen relations, been to Israel to meet impacted families of 7 October and has called for a ceasefire in Gaza. But in 2021, Newsom faced a recall election for his position as California’s governor over Covid issues such as mask mandates, closed schools, slow vaccine rollouts and increased crime and homelessness in the state. Newsom managed to survive by gaining a large majority in the election.

Gretchen Whitmer

Another potential candidate to lead the ticket is Gretchen Whitmer, governor of the critical swing state Michigan. After a shooting at Michigan State University in 2023, Whitmer has championed gun safety laws and pushed hard for restrictions. Whitmer has also been strong on abortion rights and in late 2023 signed a bill to give women more choice and said that she feared a potential national abortion ban. Not everyone in America is keen on the issues she campaigns for, though. In 2022, Whitmer gained national attention when three men were convicted of plotting to kidnap her because of her strict Covid policies in 2020.

Pete Buttigieg

The next potential replacement is Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. After spending eight years as the mayor of South Bend, a small town in Indiana, he ran for the 2020 presidential election. Buttigieg was the youngest candidate in that race at only 38 years old. He also became the first openly gay candidate to run for president. But after coming fourth in the South Carolina primary after Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Tom Steyer, Buttigieg dropped out of the race and then endorsed Joe Biden. Then newly-elected president Biden appointed him as secretary of transportation. He’s overseen the implementation of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill passed in 2021, which improved road safety and connections. But during his time, he also came under scrutiny over a series of high-profile train derailments and widespread flight delays and cancellations.

Josh Shapiro

Another name that has been talked about is Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Shapiro was in the House of Representatives, then became Pennsylvania’s 50th attorney general in 2016 until 2023, when he ran for governor. As an attorney, he exposed the Catholic Church’s decades-long coverup of child sexual abuse. He’s also been strong on women’s rights and access to health care. He has always been a supporter of Joe Biden, and Barack Obama before that. After the first presidential debates, Shapiro came to Biden’s defence to say that Democrats should stop worrying and start working.

These are the main names that have been mentioned as a growing number of Democratic officials have called on the president to step down, either publicly or reportedly in private. In a letter addressed to his fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill that was then shared on social media, President Biden writes he is not blind to the concerns and that despite speculation, he is firmly committed to staying in this race.