Democratic donors are gearing up to inject $2 million into a “mini primary” aimed at fostering an open competition for the 2024 presidential nomination, potentially blocking Vice President Kamala Harris from assuming the mantle if President Joe Biden withdraws from the race under mounting pressure.
Led by former PayPal and Intuit CEO Bill Harris, the initiative seeks to fund televised presidential debates among leading Democratic contenders, as reported by the Washington Post.
Harris stressed the importance of this effort in bringing public attention to Biden’s potential replacement.
“While Vice President Harris is a strong candidate, a ‘mini primary’ is crucial to ensure other contenders receive the exposure needed,” Harris told the Washington Post, highlighting the need for a competitive nomination process.
One significant hurdle in replacing Biden is the inability to directly transfer funds from the Biden-Harris campaign to a new candidacy.
This complication underscores the preference among some donors to promote an open competition rather than a default succession to Harris.
Harris, the Democratic donor, revealed his decision not to contribute to the Biden-Harris campaign in 2024, citing concerns over the president’s age and performance during debates as catalysts for his initiative.
“The voters have long recognized the issues, but the Democratic establishment has been slow to acknowledge them,” Harris remarked, confirming a perceived disconnect between public sentiment and party leadership.
To advance his agenda, Harris established a super PAC named Democrats for the Next Generation, advocating for a new generation of leaders under 60.
The list includes Vice President Harris, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), and several Democratic governors.
In addition to Harris’s super PAC nominees, other prominent Democrats have been floated as potential replacements for Biden, including Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama.
Despite calls from within the party urging him to step aside, Biden reaffirmed his candidacy, declaring at a recent rally, “I am running and going to win again.”
Harris stressed the importance of injecting “drama and a little chaos” into the nominating process, arguing that it could invigorate Democratic prospects for 2024.
