Joe Biden Tries to Unite Party Behind Kamala Harris with Endorsement

President Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement 30 minutes after announcing that he would not run for reelection on Sunday.

Biden’s endorsement of his vice president underscores his intent to unite the disarrayed Democratic Party and the future dilemma the party faces with a lack of a de facto nominee about four weeks from the Democratic National Convention.

Biden said in his endorsement of Harris:

My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.

Potential candidates to replace Biden atop the 2024 ticket include Harris, two-time failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), J. B. Pritzker (D-IL), and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI).

Former pollster for President Barack Obama, Fernand Amandi, published an internal survey on July 9 that pushed Harris and Clinton as better candidates Biden.

Amandi’s poll, conducted by Bendixen & Amandi, found Harris led Trump by one point (42-41 percent). Clinton led Trump by two points (43-41 percent).