Leading figures within the Democratic party are reportedly making overtures to potential successors to President Joe Biden, hinting at a possible change in the 2024 presidential race.
This information, as reported by CNN, suggests that these influential party members and donors are considering alternatives as President Biden faces a challenging tenure in the White House.
Recent polls suggest that President Biden is losing ground to top Republican contenders, namely former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Despite Biden’s public declarations of intent to run and the initiation of his campaign, insiders making these calls to potential Democratic candidates are implying that Biden might not be on the 2024 ticket.
In response to these rumors, Biden’s camp has firmly denied any change in plans, asserting that the President is fully committed to running and is actively preparing for his campaign.
Amidst this speculation, California Governor Gavin Newsom has been making waves within the party. Newsom has been openly critical of DeSantis and has appeared in a special interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. He has also been channeling funds from his 2022 gubernatorial campaign to support fellow Democrats in the 2024 race and has plans to campaign in traditionally Republican states to boost Democratic turnout.
However, some senior Democratic advisors and other sources who spoke to CNN have voiced concerns about the perceived slow progress of Biden’s campaign. Despite these concerns, Democrats supporting Biden are banking on anti-Trump sentiment to drive voter turnout, as per Democratic strategist Lis Smith.
Data from Morning Consult, a polling organization frequently referenced by the Trump campaign, showed that in the 2020 election, nearly half of Biden’s votes (44%) were cast more in opposition to Trump than in support of Biden. In contrast, only 22% of Trump’s votes were cast primarily in opposition to Biden.
