President Joe Biden’s chances of securing a second White House term might have taken their biggest hit this week with the release of a special counsel report that questioned his memory and mental fitness.
Biden has struggled polls against a hypothetical, but likely, rematch with former President Donald Trump — especially in swing states. If the scathing report from special counsel Robert Hur and mounting examples of Biden’s mental and verbal flubs persist, Democrats could end up shaking up the top of the ticket.
But replacing a sitting president isn’t easy. And the job for Democrats is complicated by Vice President Kamala Harris, an equally unpopular public figure, waiting in the wings. Harris might be the next in line, but if Democrats can’t pivot to her, there is a short bench of other strong female candidates the party might call up.
Vice President Kamala Harris
Harris is naturally next in line to become president if Biden backed away. Overall, Biden and Harris are both seeing low job-approval numbers, but the vice president is faring well with those under 30 and black voters — two demographics turning away from the president.
If Biden is unable to serve, Harris has said she’s ready to assume the presidency, but despite her strength with some key groups, voters don’t think Biden’s second-in-command is ready to be president. There have been multiple calls to replace Harris on the 2024 ticket, as she’s struggled to win over voters, sitting at a 35.5% approval rating, per the RealClearPolitics average.
Gretchen Whitmer
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) has made it clear that she is not going to run for president in 2024. However, speculation about her political future hasn’t slowed down regarding her chances if Biden is replaced as the Democratic nominee.
Despite calls to launch her own presidential bid, Whitmer has said she’s “doing everything” she “can to help reelect the president.” Whitmer has already been floated as a top Democratic contender in 2028, but with concerns about Biden’s age, her potential candidacy is being closely examined.
Michigan residents approve of the job Whitmer is doing as governor by 10 points more than the job Biden is doing as president. An Emerson College Polling survey from October shows Whitmer’s job approval rating at 48%, compared to Biden’s 38%.
Michigan is one of a handful of swing states Biden relied on in 2020 to beat Trump, but he has since started to fall out of favor there.
Tammy Duckworth
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) was on Biden’s short list for running mates in 2020 before he picked Harris, even receiving an endorsement from the Democratic Party of Illinois for the role.
Like Whitmer, Duckworth serves as one of the vice chairs of the Democratic National Committee and appeals to a broader audience as an Iraq War Veteran. Duckworth has a 51% approval ranking, according to a Morning Consult survey from 2023.
In 2021, the Illinois Democrat floated the idea of running for the highest office in the land if her candidacy was “good for the country.”
Amy Klobuchar
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is among those who ran in 2020 and lost to Biden but remains a powerful force in the Democratic Party. Despite concerns about his age, Klobuchar endorsed Biden in the 2024 election.
Klobuchar became the first woman elected to represent Minnesota in the Senate in 2007 and has widely been viewed as a more centrist option compared to Biden or Harris. She’s entering the 2024 reelection year as a highly popular incumbent with no strong Republican opponents. Klobuchar has not indicated whether she would make another run for the presidency in future election cycles.
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Michelle Obama
Former first lady Michelle Obama remains widely popular since her husband, former President Barack Obama, left office in 2017, and is talked about as a formidable opponent in her own right — if she expressed any interest in jumping into electoral politics herself.
Despite rumors of a presidential run, Michelle Obama has repeatedly said she has no interest in holding office, telling Oprah Winfrey last year, “I’ve never expressed any interest in politics. Ever.”