Speculation is swirling around President Biden’s political fate — and over who might replace him on the Democratic ticket this fall should he decide to drop out of the race.
Biden has insisted he’s in it to win it, and Vice President Harris would have the inside track on becoming the party’s standard-bearer, but Democratic concerns are growing that his candidacy could cost them the White House and House majority this fall.
Though a highly anticipated Thursday evening press conference after the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., was seen as a better performance for Biden than in recent weeks, the president still stumbled at several points with multiple notable gaffes.
The number of sitting lawmakers calling on the president to withdraw has grown since, and scrutiny is rising on the Democrats who could replace him on the ticket.
Here’s a look at the leading contenders:
Vice President Harris
Harris is widely seen as the heir apparent should Biden decide to step down, given she’s naturally next in line for the presidency.
Harris’s candidacy would be history-making as the first Black woman or South Asian woman to be chosen as a major party’s presidential nominee.
Her experience offers Harris several major assets in making the case to Democrats why she could be the right choice.
She’s currently the vice president and is already familiar with handling key issues within the administration. She was tasked with tackling the U.S. southern border early on, and she’s been one of the most vocal voices on abortion access.
Harris sought the nomination in 2020 as a senator, and her experience as California attorney general could be useful in countering GOP attacks on crime, though she notably took hits on her record on criminal justice during the 2020 Democratic primary.
From a campaign finance perspective, she would be able to more easily access funds leftover from the Biden-Harris campaign compared to another candidate, a major structural advantage.
At the same time, Harris’s association with the Biden administration also means she would be the subject of Republican attacks on issues including inflation and the border.
The vice president has also been plagued with high rates of staff turnover, and polling thus far has not shown her with a significant edge over former President Trump in a hypothetical matchup.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Whitmer has been widely speculated to have 2028 aspirations, but a potential presidential move could come sooner depending on what Biden decides.
She flipped the governors’ mansion in the critical battleground state of Michigan in 2018. Even more impressive, Democrats were able to flip both chambers of the state legislature in 2022, delivering the party their first trifecta there in nearly four decades.
Democrats tasked her to give the Democratic response to Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address, a responsibility usually slotted to rising party stars. Having a woman who hails from an important swing state, particularly in the Midwest, would be a boon for Democrats at the presidential level.
While Whitmer has brushed off talking of replacing Biden, she’s notably been on a high-profile tour promoting her book “True Gretch: What I’ve Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom
Even before questions around Biden’s fate began swirling, Newsom was already widely seen as angling for the presidency.
He traded barbs with former GOP presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, when DeSantis was still running a primary challenge against Trump and aired ads in the Sunshine State that suggested Floridians move to California.
He also agreed to a presidential-style televised debate against DeSantis that was hosted by Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
While Newsom has vocally been one of Biden’s most ardent supporters, including acting as a surrogate for him with his recent appearances in places including Michigan and New Hampshire, it’s also fueled even more speculation about his own presidential ambitions.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
While Pritzker helms what’s been a reliably blue state in presidential years, he flipped the governors’ mansion back into Democratic hands with his defeat of Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) in 2018.
Pritzker, who has leaned into hot-button issues that resonate strongly with liberals, has also been seen as another loyal Biden surrogate, but one of his biggest assets that makes him appealing to Democrats is the fact that he’d be able to easily self-fund his own campaign with an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion.
Helming a state from the Midwest is also appealing for Democrats, though Illinois is a blue bastion compared to its neighbors.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear
Democrats have a habit of flirting with presidential candidates from purple and red states, only to cast them off for contenders in more solidly blue ones.
But Beshear is one to watch given he’s twice been elected governor of Kentucky, a state that Trump won in 2020 by 26 points.
He won praise from members on both sides for his handling of several natural disasters in his state during his first term and effectively used the issue of abortion during his reelection campaign against Republican nominee Daniel Cameron.
His gubernatorial campaigns could offer a roadmap to Democrats on how to draw in moderate and disaffected Republicans in addition to independents all the while hailing from a southern state.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore
Another name that has continued to pop up amid talk of a potential Biden replacement is Moore’s.
Though just months into his first term, the Army veteran is popular on television and was already floated as a 2028 hopeful before the president’s campaign hit rough waters.
Having a younger, charismatic Black man on the presidential ticket would also speak to the party’s base.
Moore, a 45-year-old Rhodes Scholar, previously helmed a top anti-poverty nonprofit and is the first Black governor of Maryland.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
Though Shapiro’s name may not come up as frequently as others’, he is another top Democrat to keep in mind.
Shapiro rose to early stardom as Pennsylvania attorney general when he fought the Trump administration over contraceptive insurance coverage, and over his helming a wide-reaching probe regarding sex abuse by the Catholic clergy.
Picking a Democrat from a battleground state would be highly appealing to the party.
If he won, he’d be the first Jewish American to be president.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg impressed Democrats in 2020 when the once little-known mayor of South Bend, Ind., leaped into the spotlight of the presidential contest and performed competitively against much more established figures including Biden and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Having experience in Biden’s Cabinet could make him an attractive alternative to the party. Buttigieg performs well in committee hearings and has been a popular TV defender of the Biden White House.
He’d be the first openly gay man to be selected as the Democratic nominee.