President Biden has said he will stay in the race despite some calls for him to withdraw following a poor debate performance.
Democrats who want to replace President Joe Biden as their party’s presidential nominee face a difficult task as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) presses ahead with its plan to re-nominate the president.
Biden has faced some calls to withdraw from the race following a lackluster performance during his June 27 presidential debate with former President Donald Trump.
The president has repeatedly said he will be the Democratic candidate and the DNC is proceeding with a plan to formally nominate Biden via a virtual roll call vote before the Democratic National Convention begins.
Despite those plans, there is continued speculation about Biden’s future and questions about the possibility of Democrats choosing someone else at their convention.
Challenging Biden for the nomination would be very difficult but not impossible.
Here is how a potential challenge to the president could play out.Biden’s Delegate Advantage
President Biden has said he will stay in the race and if that doesn’t change, it’s difficult to see a path for a convention challenger.
There are 3,937 pledged delegates and 1,976 are needed to win the nomination. Biden already has 3,896 delegates, meaning his nomination on the first ballot should be a formality.
However, delegates are not bound by party rules to vote for the candidate they’re pledged to. The DNC’s rules state that pledged delegates « shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them. »
It is technically possible for Biden’s delegates to vote for someone else on the first ballot at the convention but the president has such a large majority of delegates it would take a significant number of defections to deny him the nomination on the first ballot.
On the second ballot, more than 700 « superdelegates » are able to join the vote as well.
These are Democratic officials including governors, members of Congress and DNC officials who could give Biden the necessary numbers to win on a second or subsequent ballot.Withdrawing from the Race
If Biden chose to withdraw before the convention, his delegates would be released and able to vote for anyone on the first ballot. It’s not clear if any potential replacement could win the nomination at that early stage.
Superdelegates’ votes could be crucial in choosing the nominee if the issue becomes contested.
