July 22, (THEWILL) – President Joe Biden, the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, has dropped his re-election bid, saying he would rather focus on completing his current term on January 20, 2025.
Biden who announced his decision on Sunday, with a letter posted to social media after weeks of mounting pressure from donors as well as Congressional Democrats, urging him to drop his re-election bid, openly endorsed the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris in a message on his X account.
That presidential endorsement worked like magic for Harris as frontline democrats fell over themselves to endorse her on Sunday. Foremost among them are ex-President Bill Clinton and his and his wife Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump in 2016. In a statement posted on X they say they “were honoured to join the president in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever they can to support her”.
“Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her,” they add. Then they bashed Trump in a decidedly combative tone.
They said, “We’ve lived through many ups and downs, but nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term,” adding that, “he has promised to be a dictator on day one, and the recent ruling by his servile Supreme Court will only embolden him to further shred the Constitution.”
Those considered potential aspirants after President Biden withdrew, soon followed suit in endorsing Harris. They are Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and her California counterpart, Governor Gavin Newsom, who both described Harris as the inevitable nominee and, Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania governor, who described her as “ a patriot worthy of our support.” Former Secretary of State, John Kerry joined the endorsement bandwagon on Sunday night.
In the House and Senate, endorsements for Harris has been pouring in since the Sunday presidential endorsement. In the House, the members are:
Rep. Jamal Bowman, D-N.Y.; Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.; Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif.; Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.; Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas; Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif.; Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich.; Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich.; Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo.; Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.; Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.; Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla.; Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev.; Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif.; Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga.; Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis.; Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill.; Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.; Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C.; Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich.; Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va.; Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore.
The senate too is not left out; Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii; Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.; Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.; Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn.; Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.; Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Sen. Ed Markey, D- Mass.; Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif.; Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.; Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif. have all endorsed Harris.
A text of Biden’s letter declining the nomination reads; “Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation. “Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.
“I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once-in-a-century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world. “It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.
“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision. “For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me re-elected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
“I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.” In her response to her endorsement by her boss, VP Harris, stated, “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.
“Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation – to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.
A few hours after President Joe Biden announced his exit from the US presidential race and crowned her as his successor, donors have gifted the purse of the Democratic Party almost $27.5m in donations. Previously, In a poll released July 11 by ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, asking if Harris were to replace Biden as the nominee, vote choices were 49-46%, Harris-Donald Trump, among all adults (and 49-47%, respectively, among registered voters). Harris’ 49% was slightly better than Biden’s 46%, although she doesn’t have a statistically significant lead over Trump, the poll found.
Normally, candidates would need signatures from at least 300 delegates – no more than 50 coming from one state – for their name to appear on the ballot.
There would be an initial round of voting among the 3,900 pledged delegates, which includes voters deemed loyal to the Democratic party.
If no candidate receives a majority of votes after this first round, then more rounds of voting would take place. These rounds of voting would include superdelegates – party leaders and elected officials – who would all cast ballots until a nominee is chosen.
To secure the party nomination, a candidate needs 1,976 delegate votes. But with the endorsements coming her way in torrents, Harris awaits her coronation on the August 19 -22, 2024 Democratic National Convention.
^^^ written By Felix Ifijeh with Agency Reports
