The Democratic Party begins deliberations to choose a replacement candidate for Biden

The US presidential race entered a foggy phase on Monday, the day after President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal and endorsed his deputy Kamala Harris to run instead of him, and the Democratic Party began deliberations to determine whether she represents the best choice to face Republican Donald Trump in November.

After weeks of leaks and political pressure from within the party, and the Democrats' major financial backers entered his line, Biden, 81, announced his withdrawal from the competition on Sunday and his endorsement of Harris to run for the presidential election this year.

Kamala Harris announces her intention to run

Harris, 59, confirmed her intention to run, saying in a statement: "I am honored to have the president's endorsement and my intention is to win this nomination and win it. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party - and unite our nation - to defeat Donald Trump."

While Democratic figures have announced their support for Neil Harris as the party’s nominee at its convention in Chicago in mid-August, a number of party figures, such as former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have refrained from endorsing the first black woman to hold the position of vice president in the country.

In a statement, Obama praised Biden’s decision to withdraw, but warned of “unknown prospects in the days ahead,” expressing his confidence in the ability of party leaders to “lay out a path that can lead to an outstanding candidate.”

The race for the White House has witnessed two major shifts in a short period of time, not exceeding eight days, which restored momentum to the competition and caused a shuffle in the cards before the elections scheduled for November 5. Former President and Republican candidate Trump was subjected to an assassination attempt on July 13, and Biden announced his withdrawal on July 21, thus succumbing to widespread pressure from the Democratic camp itself.

Biden's withdrawal from the election

Biden's announcement came in a message to Americans published on the "X" platform, noting that the Democratic president has not appeared in public since announcing his infection with Corona last week, and isolating himself at his private home in the state of Delaware in the south of the country.

Biden said, "I believe that it is in the best interest of my party and my country that I withdraw and focus solely on my duties as president until the end of my term." He followed his message with a post on "X" in which he said, "Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement to Kamala to be our party's nominee this year. It is time for Democrats to unite and defeat Trump."

Harris received the support of prominent figures in the Democratic Party, such as former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was seen as a potential competitor, in addition to many elected lawmakers from progressives and moderates.

“Now more than ever, it is important for our party and our country to come together quickly to defeat Donald Trump and the threat he poses to American democracy,” New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in a post on Twitter.

Biden’s surprise move, which has been the subject of speculation for days, has raised a series of questions in Democratic circles, including whether former Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, now an independent, will seek the presidency.

The prominent senator joined calls on Sunday for Biden to end his bid in favor of a younger Democrat.

In contrast to the question marks, Biden’s withdrawal has been a financial boon for Democrats, with ActBlue, the party’s campaign fundraiser, announcing Sunday evening that it had raised $46.7 million in one-day fundraising in 2024 after the president dropped his candidacy and endorsed Harris.