The incumbent US President Joe Biden has decided not to participate in the presidential race anymore. He also announced that he supports the candidacy of another co-partisan. Find out who the Democrats can nominate instead of Biden and what chances the other candidates have

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US President Joe Biden has announced his withdrawal from the upcoming elections. Now the Democrats will have to choose a new candidate. We tell you who can take Biden's place and, in general, what are the chances that the elections can be won by a representative of the Democratic Party.

Biden is leaving

On Sunday, 21 July, the US President made the probably expected statement about his withdrawal from the presidential race.

"It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve you as president. And while I had intended to run for re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and country for me to step aside and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term," the president said.

He noted that he would address the citizens of the United States later this week with more details about his decision. 

At the same time, representatives of the Republican Party, in particular House Speaker Mike Johnson called on Biden to resign immediately.

"If Joe Biden is not worthy to run for president, he is not worthy to hold the office of president. He should resign immediately," he wrote in X.

Who could take Biden's place?

Some time later, Biden posted another message on social media, in which he suggested that Democrats elect current US Vice President Kamala Harris as their candidate.

"My first decision as the party's 2020 nominee was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice Presidential running mate. And it was the best decision I've ever made. Today, I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be our party's nominee this year. Democrats - it's time to unite and defeat Trump. Let's do it," Biden stated.

As Reuters previously wrote, the Democratic Party would be taking a historic gamble if it tries to field incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris as its nominee in the November election

Kamala Harris is a black woman, which makes her a risky candidate for the US presidential election. In the 250 years of the nation's existence, Americans have only once elected a black president - Barack Obama - and never a woman.

"Will her race and gender be an issue? Absolutely," said LaTosha Brown, a political strategist and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Fund.

However, many Democrats are conversely excited about her chances in an election battle with Trump. Harris, 59, is two decades younger than Trump and is the leader of a party fighting for abortion rights, an issue that resonates among younger voters and the Democrats' progressive base. Supporters say she will energise those voters, bolstering support for the Democratic nominee from blacks and many women who still wish they had voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Harris will also showcase Trump's extraordinary debating skills.

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Who, besides Harris, can represent the Democrats in the election?

More than a dozen candidates are being discussed in the American media. But not all of them are known to the broad masses of voters, some of them are not even included in public opinion polls.

In addition to Harris, there are two other candidates who could replace Biden. These are California Governor Gavin Newsom and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigedge.

According to polls, Harris will be supported by 50 per cent of women voters if she is against Trump, while Biden against Trump can count on 44 per cent of women. She also has an advantage with independent voters, meaning those who don't support either Democrats or Republicans: 43% for Harris if she's against Trump, and 34% for Biden if he's against Trump.

As for Gavin Newsom's ratings, it's important to note that his political programme is the same as Biden's. However, he is now conceding even more - 48% of registered voters are willing to vote for Trump, 43% for Newsom.

The youngest candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination may be Pete Buttigedge, who is just 42 years old. He even finished 3rd among Democratic candidates in the 2020 primaries. However, he is also seriously behind his rival in terms of ratings: 47% support Trump, compared to 43% for Buttigedge. Also, the campaign messaging will have to be completely restructured under him.

Donald Trump has already reacted to the situation around Biden

Trump, who recently officially became the US presidential candidate from the Republican Party, reacting to President Biden's decision to withdraw from the presidential race, called the current American leader "the worst president in the history of the country".

He is also confident that Vice President Kamala Harris will be easier for him to defeat than Biden if she runs for the position.

We remind you! The first debate in the presidential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump took place in the United States. The debate turned out to be emotional and in some moments even very sharp. Even with the fact that Biden tried to outplay Trump with facts, he failed to win. Why? Read in this material.

AP Photo / David Becker

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