Washington: President of the United States Joe Biden has withdrawn from the race for the US presidency.
He endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris to replace him as presidential candidate in the coming elections.
Biden has spent the last several months accruing nearly 4,000 Democratic delegates by winning primary elections in US states and territories.
Those delegates would normally vote for him to be the party’s official presidential nominee at the Democratic National Convention that is set to take place Aug. 19-22, but the rules do not bind or force them to do so. Delegates can vote with their conscience, which means they could throw their vote to someone else.
By stepping aside, Biden is effectively “releasing” his delegates, potentially sparking a competition among other Democratic candidates to become the nominee.
Several candidates could step into the fray.
Vice President Kamala Harris is at the top of the list, but she has had her own problems after a rocky start on the job and poor polling numbers. The US Constitution dictates that the vice president becomes president if the president dies or becomes incapacitated, but it does not weigh in on an inter-party process for choosing a nominee.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker have all been floated as possible replacements. Up until now they have been Biden supporters working to help get him elected.
