The 2024 race is right around the corner. But it may be over before it’s even started.
And now a crucial battleground state handed Democrats a devastating loss.
If President Joe Biden decides to exit the presidential race, Wisconsin law presents a significant hurdle for Democrats trying to replace him.
Under current state ballot access procedures, “Any person who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot cannot withdraw their name from the ballot after filing. The name of that person shall appear upon the ballot except in case of death of the person.”
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has highlighted states like Wisconsin where Democrats might face legal challenges if they attempt to replace Biden.
“We are monitoring the calls from across the country for President Biden to step aside, either now or before the election, and have concluded that the process for substitution and withdrawal is very complicated,” said Heritage Foundation Oversight Project Executive Director Mike Howell in a statement.
Even without this Wisconsin provision, removing Biden from the ballot would be challenging.
Before the national convention where delegates formally vote on candidate nominations, states hold presidential preference primaries. Biden won in Wisconsin by a large margin.
While delegates could theoretically select a nominee other than Biden at the Democratic convention, this would violate the rules that delegates “shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”
But it’s not apparent that sticking with Biden is the will of the people who voted for him.
Sure, they chose him since he was the only real challenger on the ballot during the primaries, but that was before the debates showed how far gone he is.
A majority of Democrats in a recent survey expressed support for President Biden withdrawing from the White House race amid growing concerns about his mental acuity and capability to serve another four years if reelected.
The Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, published Thursday, revealed that 56 percent of Democrats believe the president should step aside and “let someone else run” following his rocky debate performance last month, which has alarmed many within the party.
Overall, 67 percent of respondents said Biden should drop out of the race.
Biden has been facing increasing calls from his own party to withdraw from the presidential race after a lackluster debate performance against President Trump, where he appeared low on energy, stumbled over his words, and had a raspy voice.
Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) became the first sitting Democrat in the upper chamber to call for Biden to drop out of the race Wednesday via an op-ed in The Washington Post, joining several House colleagues who have urged the president to leave the race.
“He needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not,” Welch wrote.
“For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.”
In Madison last week, Biden stated, “I’m the nominee of the Democratic Party. I’m the nominee of this party because millions of Democrats like you just voted for me in primaries all across America. Well, let me say this as clearly as I can: I’m staying in the race.”
U.S. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that this remains Biden’s plan during a press briefing Tuesday.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
