Doubting party members think about promoting Kamala Harris
House Democrats oppose the party's plan to speed up Biden's nomination. At least three Democrats in the US House of Representatives were preparing to sign a letter opposing a plan to speed up the party's formal endorsement of Joe Biden's re-election bid, lawmakers' offices said on Tuesday.
The three are among a growing number of Democrats unhappy with plans to hold a “virtual roll call vote” on Biden's nomination as early as July 21, rather than waiting for the convention, which runs from August 19 to 22 in Chicago.
Democratic Representatives Susan Wild, Mike Quigley and Jared Huffman plan to sign the letter, said representatives for each lawmaker contacted by Reuters.
“Suppressing debate and prematurely ending any possible changes to the Democratic ticket with an unnecessary and unprecedented 'virtual roll call' in the coming days is a terrible idea,” reads a copy of the draft letter seen by Reuters. “This could seriously undermine the morale and unity of Democrats.”
The virtual nominations were originally planned to bypass Ohio's Nov. 5 deadline to get candidates on the ballot before the August Democratic convention. But Ohio extended that deadline, removing that hurdle, the letter to the Democratic National Committee argued.
In response to the criticism, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jamie Harrison said on Platform X that Ohio's extension would not take effect on time. He also denied reports that he said virtual voting could take place as soon as next week. “The only thing you've heard from us is that we have to get this done by August 5th so we have time to meet the requirements by August 7th,” he said.
Pass the baton, Joe, a group pressuring Biden to drop out of the presidential race has accused the DNC of potentially engaging in an “undemocratic and perhaps even Trumpian maneuver” that is deepening internal Democratic divisions.
The latest effort follows a call from 19 congressional Democrats for Biden, 81, to end his campaign after he failed to appear at the June 27 debate against Donald Trump.
Adam Schiff, a California Democrat running for his state's open Senate seat, who was not one of the 19 candidates, warned donors in a closed-door meeting that his party would likely suffer serious losses if Biden continues his re-election bid, the New York Times reported Tuesday. A Schiff campaign spokesman declined to comment.
Last month's debate raised concerns within the party about both Biden's ability to defeat Trump and his suitability for another four years of high-profile jobs.
Thirty-nine percent of Democratic respondents who accepted in a Reuters/Ipsos poll that ended on Tuesday said they think Biden should stop running for the White House, slightly higher than the 32% who said the same in a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken a few days after debate.
According to congressional sources, the letter from the three lawmakers had not yet been sent to the Democratic National Committee and was widely circulated among House Democrats.
Democrats fear Biden's poor election performance could cost their party more than just control of the White House, but also both houses of Congress, setting the stage for a second Trump administration that could pursue its policy goals with little or no Democratic opposition.
Republicans, following standard party procedure, formally nominated Trump at their convention in Milwaukee on Monday.
If Biden withdraws from the re-election campaign, Kamala Harris will be the leading Democratic presidential candidate, multiple sources said.
Some Democrats, however, could push for a more open process that would allow other potential candidates to compete for the nomination less than three months before the general election.
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