President Joe Biden was early in endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take over the presidential nomination after her resignation on Sunday. Several heavy names within the Democrats have openly supported Harris, but it is only at the party convention in Chicago, August 19-22, that it will be decided.
– There are a number of thousands of delegates who are selected in this primary election process that took place during the spring. They are the ones who decide it, says Dag Blanck, professor of North American studies at Uppsala University.
“Unclear what Barack Obama thinks”
Several heavyweight Democrats such as Bill and Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Gretchen Whitmer and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi have given their support to Harris. But several of them could, in theory, stand up as counter-candidates – and challenge Harris for the Democrats’ nomination.
– What stands out now is that it is still unclear what Barack Obama thinks. There are some rumors that behind the scenes he is more interested in an open convention, says Billy McCormac, a political analyst.
No clear leadership in the opinion
Although there are analysts who see it likely that Kamala Harris could be challenged within the party in a month, most say she is still the most likely candidate to succeed Biden.
According to an early analysis by CNN, neither she nor Donald Trump has a clear lead in public opinion. Trump has 48 percent voter support, while Harris has 47 percent.
– We know that in 2016, Hillary Clinton ran for president. There were high hopes for her then. She didn’t win and the fact that she is a woman certainly played a role. Now we’ll see if it’s easier for a woman to become president of the United States, says Dag Blanck.
Seven wave master states
The road to the White House in this election runs through seven swing states that could decide everything: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Biden won Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump, on the other hand, took home the win in North Carolina.
It is in these states that Harris, or whichever Democrat it turns out to be, must convince voters – and face a Trump who is out for revenge.
– There are many ordinary Americans who have been negatively affected financially in the last three and a half years. She will be partly to blame for that. She must now explain how she thinks, Billy McCormac.