Vice President Kamala Harris is reportedly the leading candidate to replace US President Joe Biden if he decides not to pursue his reelection campaign, according to sources cited by Reuters. Speculation about replacing Biden intensified after his first debate with Republican rival Donald Trump sparked concern among Democrats.
In addition to Kamala Harris, other potential candidates include Gavin Newsom from California, Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, and Josh Shapiro from Pennsylvania. However, sources told the news agency that these contenders might not be able to surpass Harris as the primary choice.
A recent CNN poll indicated that Kamala Harris might have a better chance of retaining the White House. Biden, who is 81 years old, has faced scrutiny over his mental health due to some public missteps.
According to the CNN poll conducted by SRS, Trump, 78, leads Biden by six points. In a hypothetical matchup, 47% of registered voters support Trump, while 45% back Harris.
The poll highlighted that Harris’ slightly stronger performance against Trump is partly due to greater support from women (50% of female voters back Harris over Trump, compared to 44% for Biden) and independents (43% for Harris vs. 34% for Biden).
A Reuters poll also showed Harris trailing Trump by just one percentage point, with 42% to Trump’s 43%.
“It’s pretty near impossible to win the nomination over the vice president,” said Michael Trujillo, a Democratic strategist from California who worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaigns in 2008 and 2016.
Meanwhile, Harris’ aides have dismissed these reports, stating that the vice president is looking forward to serving a second term with President Joe Biden.
“People may have dreams of another superhero, but there is a process, and the last time I checked, it’s a Biden-Harris ticket, and she’s number two on the ticket,” said Donna Brazile, the former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee.
