Biden ends 2024 campaign: What's next for Arizona delegates ahead of the DNC
PHOENIX - The news of the president stepping down from his re-election has flung the Democratic Party into a sea of uncertainty.
What could happen at the Democratic convention? What are the next steps for Arizona delegates?
The clock is ticking for Democrats.
On Aug. 19, the party meets for its convention in Chicago and Arizona is sending 85 delegates with six alternates.
Who the nominee will be is still up in the air.
For those who don't know, a delegate is someone who is "chosen or elected by a group to speak, vote, etc. for them," says the Cambridge Dictionary.
"It’s very interesting being an Arizona delegate right now," said Paul Weich, Arizona Democratic delegate.
Weich hasn’t seen anything quite like it during his time as a Democratic delegate. His phone started ringing the moment President Joe Biden officially backed down from his re-election campaign.
The calls didn’t stop after he backed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 22: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris attends an NCAA championship teams celebration on the South Lawn of the White House on July 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Joe Biden abandoned his campaign for a second term afte
"These are historic waters that we are charting right now," he said.
Momentum is swinging in the vice president’s direction, but the future remains uncertain.
This will mark the first time in decades that a presidential candidate was unclear this late into the election season. Prior to the president’s decision, the party long planned a virtual roll call vote to formally nominate its presidential candidate to meet some states’ deadlines.
That call is reportedly still going to happen, the Associated Press says.
Party leaders are told it should happen sometime between Aug. 1-7.
Biden gives 1st remarks since leaving 2024 race during Harris campaign meeting
Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has raised a record-breaking $81 million in grassroots donations since President Joe Biden gave her his endorsement, according to her campaign.
If the call happens and support around Harris remains strong, she could be the chosen nominee to take on former President Donald Trump before the convention.
If not, things would get interesting with an open convention. Arizona delegates don't think that'll happen, nor want that to happen.
"This is not the time for that. I think we have seen the party coalesce around Kamla Harris, enthusiastically supporting her. I am talking to other delegates saying we should all support her as the nominee. I think it will all be settled before we go into the convention," Weich said.
In the meantime, Harris is gaining steam.
Looking ahead to the DNC as Biden drops out of race
We're tracking the fallout from President Biden's decision to bow out of the 2024 election. In just 29 days, Democrats meet in Chicago for their national convention, setting the stage for what could be a contested nomination process. FOX 10's John Hook, who will be in Chicago at the DNC, talks about what this means for the country and Arizona.
Less than 24 hours after her campaign kicked off, she snatched the support of more than half of the delegates needed to win the nomination vote, per the AP.
"I think fellow Democrats understand the urgency of the moment. We are well aware we do not have the usual 20-month ramp that candidates typically have. So I think that’s why you’ve seen many of us around the country coalesce around her so quickly," Arizona Democratic delegate Eric Limb said.
He believes the transition will be quick and smooth.
"My gut tells me that we are probably going to have a rather unified convention, which I think is very important for us going into the fall," Limb said.
On Monday, the Arizona Democratic Party executive board and county chairs released a statement unanimously pledging their support of Harris.