Who could replace Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate?

Following US President Joe Biden’s weak performance in the debate against his rival, former Republican President Donald Trump, voices have begun to emerge within the Democratic Party that another candidate is needed. But with less than five months to go until the election, who could replace him?

Sources close to the Democratic Party agree on three names: the current vice president, Kamala Harris, and the governors of California, Gavin Newsom, and of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer.

Kamala Harris, an obvious choice with little popularity

Harris would be the most obvious choice not only because she holds the Vice Presidency, but because as the first woman and first African American to reach that position she would appeal directly to two key electoral groups for Democrats: African Americans and women.

He also has the advantage of age: at 59 years old, he would not generate the same concerns in the electorate as Biden, 81, and would mark a clear contrast with Trump, 78, who usually rambles in his long rallies connecting phrases. nonsense and spreading false information.

His disadvantage: the numbers show that his approval levels have dropped since he became Vice President, going from 48.3% shortly after taking office, in January 2021, to 39.4% currently, according to the average of surveys from the FiveThirtyEight portal.

Republicans have seized on Harris’s low popularity to attack her. During the debate, they aired an ad that suggested the possibility that she might have to take over the presidency at some point, implying that voting for Biden would actually be equivalent to voting for Harris.

Harris, however, has remained loyal to Biden and defended him in interviews on CNN and MSNBC shortly after the debate. At an event in Las Vegas on Friday, she said the election will not be decided in a single night and said Americans must decide “between someone who lies and someone who leads.”

Gavin Newsom, the name on everyone’s lips

His name is perhaps the one that has been mentioned most often as a possible replacement for Biden, even more than Harris’s. Newsom, 56, is one of the freshest faces in the Democratic Party: his popularity in the media, on social media and his progressive government have made him an ideal choice.

Additionally, it has made great efforts to raise its profile throughout the United States. Last year she created a political action committee called ‘Campaign for Democracy’ with the aim of supporting Democrats in the most conservative states in the country, something that has been perceived as a basis for a future presidential campaign.

Among his advantages is that he is a skilled communicator and has a presidential image. As his disadvantages, his position as governor of California and his past as mayor of San Francisco would expose him to attacks from Republicans, who tend to portray that state as excessively progressive and riddled with crime.

Like Harris, Newsom has also positioned himself on the president’s side. When dozens of reporters cornered him after the debate with the same question “Are you ready to replace Biden?”, he considered that this approach was not valid and that what had to be done was support the president.

“We can’t turn our backs on him because of one performance. What kind of party does that?” he said.

Gretchen Whitmer, a rising star

Another alternative that has gained strength is Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a rising star within the Democratic Party.

The governor gained national profile during the pandemic when she became one of Trump’s favorite targets for the measures she adopted to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The former president derogatorily nicknamed her “that woman from Michigan”, a nickname that she, a skilled communicator, has been able to take advantage of to define her public image.

At the height of Trump’s attacks, Whitmer was the target of a kidnapping and murder plot orchestrated by a far-right group, which authorities managed to dismantle, arresting several people involved.

Her strengths include her position as governor of Michigan, a key election state, and her ability to work with the Republican opposition to promote Democratic causes such as gun control, access to abortion and the protection of human rights. LGTBI+.

Its main disadvantage is its limited national projection, something that it is already trying to remedy. Last year, like Newsom, he launched a political action committee, ‘Fight Like Hell PAC,’ to endorse Democratic candidates across the country and has written a book titled ‘True Gretch,’ which will be published on July 9.

He has not ruled out running for president, but for now his loyalty lies with Biden.