Meet the Democrats who could replace Biden

Vice President

Kamala Harris

Harris, 59, is seen by many as the straightforward replacement for the Democratic nomination. Her experience serving as vice president with Biden could be an asset for a campaign.

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After Biden announced his support for Harris, she said, “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”

She has been the face of the administration’s work on reproductive rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Harris was previously an attorney general and senator from California. Her questioning of then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings received national media attention in 2018.

Harris ran for president in 2020 and confronted Biden during a primary debate over his record on busing. She ended her campaign before the Iowa caucuses, the first event on the primary election calendar.

“Sometimes we may be the only one that looks like us walking in that room. But the thing we all know is we never walk in those rooms alone — we are all in that room together.”

Governor of Michigan

Gretchen Whitmer

Whitmer, 52, is in her second term as governor of Michigan, a key swing state that Trump won in 2016 but Biden took in 2020. She was previously a state legislator, serving in both the state House and Senate and becoming the Michigan Senate minority leader for four years.

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She is a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, and has passed progressive priorities in Michigan, including protecting access to abortion and gun safety measures.

Whitmer has easily won her campaigns for governor in the swing state, winning by over 9 percentage points in her 2018 and 2022 elections.

“You can’t win an election in Michigan by double digits if you’re not drawing over people who are not traditional Democrats, and I’m proud of that.”

Governor of California

Gavin Newsom

Newsom, 56, has long been involved in California politics and is currently the governor. He was elected in 2019 and won a recall election by over twenty percentage points.

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Newsom recently signed a law making California the first state to ban school employees from notifying parents about students’ sexual orientation and gender identity.

Newsom has embraced the national spotlight, from debating Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Fox News to launching a federal political action committee in 2023 to “fight rising authoritarianism.”

Newsom received criticism in 2020 for breaking his own COVID-19 restrictions while dining at The French Laundry restaurant in the Napa Valley.

In an interview with CBS News last week, Newsom said he is “all in” on Biden and has been a campaign surrogate for the president.

“Authoritarian leaders are so hell-bent on gaining power and keeping it that they’re directly attacking our freedoms in state after state.”

Secretary of Transportation

Pete Buttigieg

Buttigieg, 42, was nominated and confirmed as the secretary of transportation in 2021. He ran for president in 2020 and had a strong performance in the Iowa caucuses and nearly won the New Hampshire primary.

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He hails from South Bend, Indiana, where he was elected mayor in 2012 and served until 2020.

Buttigieg has helped steer the government’s response to multiple crises, including the Baltimore Bridge collapse and the East Palestine train derailment in Ohio.

Buttigieg has gained respect among Democrats for taking Biden’s message to conservative outlets like Fox News, and has been praised for his ability to communicate Biden’s priorities.

If elected, Buttigieg would be the first openly gay president in the U.S.

“The shape of our democracy is the issue that affects every other issue.”

Governor of Pennsylvania

Josh Shapiro

Shapiro, 51, is the governor of Pennsylvania, an important swing state that voted for Trump in 2016 but flipped to Biden in 2020.

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Shapiro received bipartisan praise for his handling of a bridge collapse last year on a major highway, Interstate 95. Repairs were expected to take months but in less than two weeks temporary lanes were opened.

Shapiro is also seen as a possible vice presidential pick if Harris replaces Biden on the ticket, as he could bring demographic diversity and strong electoral results in an important swing state.

When asked Thursday if he might be on the ticket, he steered around the question.

“Look, I love serving as governor and I’ve made clear where I stand on the presidential race. It’s the president’s decision to make, and he’s made it,” Shapiro said.

“I understand people feel like our politics are divided and broken right now, but we can't just take our ball and go home.”

Governor of Kentucky

Andy Beshear

Beshear, 46, has gained national attention among Democrats for his ability to win statewide in Kentucky, a strongly Republican-leaning state. Beshear is in his second term as governor of Kentucky after defeating former state attorney general Daniel Cameron by five percentage points in 2023.

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Beshear vetoed a 15-week abortion ban bill, though Kentucky’s Republican-controlled legislature was able to override his veto. He has vetoed other Republican priorities, like a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors and would limit discussion of sexuality and gender identity in schools.

He increased his national profile earlier this year after forming a federal political action committee to help elect more Democrats nationwide.

Like Shapiro, Beshear is seen as a possible vice presidential pick if Harris becomes the Democrats’ presidential nominee.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press.

“People don't wake up in the morning thinking about what party they are in or who the next president is going to be. They think about their job and whether they make enough money to support their family.”