US President Joe Biden announced on Sunday (July 21) that he will be dropping out of the presidential race. This comes after weeks of speculation and calls from influential members of the Democratic Party, especially after the first presidential debate with Republican candidate Donald Trump resulted in a weak performance from Biden. His main goal was to put the concerns about his age to rest, but they were only heightened after he seemed to fumble at times and forget what he was saying. The key concern for the party would be to find his replacement. Here is a look at six Democrats who can replace Biden. 1. Kamala Harris The 59-year-old Vice President has been endorsed by Biden and seems to be the natural successor — she will automatically become President once Biden chooses to step aside. But the issue is that her approval ratings are abysmal. “She has been widely criticised for not carving out her own role in the Biden administration,” according to a report by The Guardian. As a result, experts believe that she would struggle against Trump. 2. Gretchen Whitmer There are some speculations that Michigan Governor Whitmer, 52, can also replace Biden. She has served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006, and in the Michigan Senate from 2006 to 2015. Whitmer became the governor of Michigan for the first time in 2019, and secured her bid for re-election in 2022. “She has been in favour of stricter gun laws, repealing abortion bans and backing universal preschool,” The Guardian report said. 3. Gavin Newsom Another candidate is California Governor Gavin Newsom, 56, who has earlier served as lieutenant governor of California, and mayor of San Francisco. His support for Democrats in elections outside California sparked rumours last year that he was running a “shadow campaign” for the White House. However, after the Biden vs Trump debate ended on Thursday, Newsom downplayed the talks of him replacing Trump. He told the reporters that he was “very proud of the president.” 4. J B Pritzker Illinois Governor J B Pritzker, 59, also has been regularly listed as a potential Biden alternative. He is ambitious, and one of the wealthiest among the probable substitutes listed here — Pritzker’s family owns the Hyatt hotel chain. During his term as the governor of Illinois, he codified the right to abortion in the state, and declared it a “sanctuary state” for women seeking abortions. 5. Josh Shapiro Josh Shapiro has been the governor of Pennsylvania since 2022. He has served four terms in the state’s House of Representatives and later two terms as commissioner of Montgomery County. According to a Franklin & Marshall College poll from April 2024, he has 54% approval in the state, including approval from 29% of registered Republicans, the Financial Times reported. 6. Dean Phillips Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips launched a long-shot presidential primary challenge against Biden earlier this year. Although he gained some support, he failed to appeal to the border party. As a result, Philips later dropped out of the race. If Biden decides to step aside, it is unlikely that Philips would be among the top contenders to replace him.
