The Democratic National Committee will hold a virtual roll call vote to formally nominate President Joe Biden as the party’s nominee, according to a letter sent Wednesday.
For weeks, Biden has been defiant as some in his party call on him to quit the race after his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump last month. Co-chairs Bishop Leah D. Daughtry and Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz say no voting will begin before August 1.
“None of this will be rushed. Unlike our nation’s other major political party, our rules are set in public meetings, anchored in the Party’s charter and its traditions. That will continue in the 2024 cycle, as it must with so much at stake,” they write.
The original reason for the change to a virtual vote was to make sure Biden would qualify for the ballot in Ohio, which originally had an August 7 deadline, but the state has since changed its rules.
The letter comes as a new poll was released showing nearly two-thirds of Democrats say Biden should withdraw from the presidential race and let his party nominate a different candidate.
According to the survey, only about 3 in 10 Democrats are “extremely or very confident” that he has the mental capability to serve effectively as president, down slightly from 40% earlier this year.
African Americans are among Biden’s highest support compared to about 3 in 10 white and Hispanic Democrats.
The poll of 1,253 adults was conducted July 11-15, 2024.
The new findings undercut Biden’s claims post-debate that “average Democrats” are still with him even if some “big names” are turning on him. Rep. Adam Schiff, who is running for California’s Senate seat, said in a call on that if Biden remains on the ticket, his party will lose the House and Senate in November.
“I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose,” he said. “And we may very, very well lose the Senate and lose our chance to take back the House.”
