“The early jockeying is also a hedge against Biden, 80, having a health scare or deciding not to run for re-election before the Democratic National Convention next August,” Axios reports.
Democrat governors and senators are positioning themselves to run in 2028 or even in 2024 in case Joe Biden “unexpectedly” drops out, according to reports.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and even Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker are all moving to boost their national profiles ahead of 2024.
“In recent months, more than half a dozen Democratic lawmakers have established national political organizations, embarked on resume-building foreign trips, and visited states that traditionally hold early presidential primaries,” Axios reported on Thursday.
The Democrat politicians have all expressed their support for Biden publicly, but appear to be making moves behind the scenes over fears Biden may suddenly drop out before the 2024 election.
“The ambitious, next-generation Democrats all support Biden’s re-election — but they’re drawing battle lines for the next race for the White House,” Axios noted.
“The early jockeying is also a hedge against Biden, 80, having a health scare or deciding not to run for re-election before the Democratic National Convention next August, several high-ranking Democratic officials tell Axios.”
Newsom, for example, took a week-long tour to China to meet its leader Xi Jinping last month, raising speculation that he’s running a shadow campaign against Biden.
Kamala Harris recently embarked on a “Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour” that included several historically Black colleges and universities.
And Whitmer, Newsom and Pritzker all recently launched national political groups.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) also has $10 million cash on hand for his 2026 re-election campaign, which could easily be used for a 2024 presidential bid.
The report goes on to point out that the battle for the Democrat nomination would become decidedly more complicated if Biden were to drop out after January 1.
Democrats’ commitment to Biden hasn’t stopped them from running just-in-case scenarios.
If Biden were to leave the race before the end of this year, there likely would be time for candidates to get on enough state ballots to determine the nomination.
But if he were to exit after Jan. 1, the nomination fight more likely would go to the Democrats’ convention in Chicago because candidates wouldn’t be able to get on the ballot in enough states, according to a recent analysis by the Brookings Institution’s Elaine Kamarck, who has been on the DNC’s Rules Committee since 1997.
This reports comes amid recent polling showing Biden’s approval rating tanking over his handling of the economy, foreign policy, and his cognitive abilities related to his advanced age.
“According to an aggregate of polls on the subject, the sitting president has a disapproval rating of 53.8 percent compared to 40.1 percent approval. When compared to those of his predecessors, it could prove an early sign of the challenge he faces in seeking a second term,” Newsweek reported on Wednesday.
“Biden’s unpopularity has been a burgeoning trend since last year, with recent polling suggesting his campaign is struggling to connect with voters on his economic agenda while facing ongoing questions about his age.”
