President Joe Biden announced his exit from the 2024 presidential election race on July 21. Political leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Joe Manchin were among those calling for Biden to drop out of the 2024 race. Current Vice President Kamala Harris was confirmed to be the new Democratic presidential nominee on Aug. 6.
After President Biden’s abrupt exit from the race, Harris secured the party’s support to run for president. Harris is set to fulfill her four-year term as President Biden’s VP, giving her experience in the Oval Office.
President Biden, now nearing age 82, has expressed his dismay at fellow Democratic Party members for calling for his exit from the race. Biden has endorsed Harris, but he still needs to resolve with Pelosi after she pressured him to drop out of the race.
Former President Donald Trump announced his running mate on July 15: JD Vance, a senator from Ohio who has criticized Trump’s actions in the past, is now his running mate. Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee in August, which meant that Trump was unable to factor his opponent into his VP selection.
Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, was confirmed to be Harris’s running mate on Aug. 6. She announced her decision following her confirmation as the Democratic nominee. Walz has championed free school lunches and female reproductive rights in his state, aligning himself well with Harris’s goals for the campaign.
Before stepping down as the Democratic presidential nominee, Biden was trailing Trump in polls by the New York Times/Siena College, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters/Ipsos of likely or registered voters. Depending on the poll, Biden was trailing by 2-6 points.
After Harris replaced Biden, the polls are looking better for the Democrats. Another New York Times/Siena College poll shows Harris now leads Trump by up to four percentage points in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Additionally, Harris also has a one-point advantage in Nevada and Arizona.
President Biden will complete his first presidential term in January, leaving the Oval Office to the winner of the 2024 presidential election.
