Who could replace Biden as the Democratic nominee?

"I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out." These were the words of President Joe Biden during a recent phone call with his staffers, according to The Associated Press. Biden's strong statement came amid increasing calls for him to step aside as the presumptive Democratic nominee following a poor performance in his debate against Donald Trump.

So while it seems that Biden will indeed be the Democratic Party's nominee this November, what would happen if the president changed his mind? Here are some Democrats who could potentially replace him at the top of the ticket. 

Kamala Harris

The first female vice president seems like an obvious choice to try and become the first female president. A recent CNN/SSRS poll found that Kamala Harris trailed Trump by only two points in a hypothetical matchup, while Biden trailed Trump by six points. 

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Despite frequent criticism, Harris is "emerging as an indispensable surrogate and defender, and maybe even successor," said Vox, and has been "able to showcase her value on the campaign trail." However, she would still need to win a majority of delegates, as "party rules give the vice president no major mechanical benefit over other candidates," said NBC News. 

Gavin Newsom

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has long been working to raise his national profile and is frequently cited as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028. He could get his chance earlier, though, if Biden were to decide to drop out. 

The governor is no stranger to domestic and foreign policy experience. Newsom has "popped up in Tel Aviv and Beijing, meeting with world leaders [and] promoting his climate agenda," said The Washington Post, and last year he "toured Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas to push back against what he describes as 'the rollback of progress' on civil, women's and LBGTQ+ rights." 

J.B. Pritzker 

He's not as well known on the national stage as Newsom, but Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker could end up being just as influential in the coming months. Pritzker has been the governor of Illinois for five years and notably helped helm the state's Covid-19 response. 

For now, the billionaire Pritzker is a "surrogate for the Biden campaign, but his name has been mentioned as an emergency replacement" for the president, said Axios. He has gone head-to-head with Trump online in recent months and leads a nonprofit group to fund abortion rights ballot measures.

Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer likely has the second-largest profile nationally among Democratic governors and is already a co-chair of Biden's campaign. So it's no surprise that her name is being floated to take over the ticket.

Whitmer leads a "critical swing state" and has "championed gun safety legislation, electric car manufacturing and abortion rights," said NPR. Perhaps none of Biden's potential replacements have "been the recipient of more wish-casting among despairing Democrats than the second-term Michigan governor," said Politico, though Whitmer herself, like Newsom, has pushed back against these calls.

Pete Buttigieg

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is one of the more recognizable Cabinet secretaries and has worked in tandem with Biden throughout his first term. Buttigieg also has campaign experience, having run for president in 2020. 

Buttigieg, a Navy veteran and the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, would shatter a significant barrier as the first openly gay U.S. president. But "despite his credentials, the Data for Progress poll shows Buttigieg trailing Trump if he were to replace Biden on the Democratic ticket," said Newsweek.

Josh Shapiro

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is another state leader with a growing national profile. He also has experience against MAGA-backed candidates, as Shapiro beat Trump-endorsed conspiracy theorist Doug Mastriano in a landslide to become governor. Shapiro would also break a major barrier as the first Jewish president. 

There is a "case to be made for Josh," Biden fundraiser Alan Kessler said to The Philadelphia Inquirer, because "you don't win in November without winning Pennsylvania." Even so, Shapiro remains "light years away from the top of the 2024 presidential ballot," and his candidacy doesn't "have any basis in reality," said Kessler.