(The Center Square) – After a disastrous debate performance, President Joe Biden faces fresh calls to drop out of the 2024 presidential campaign, this time from longtime supporters.
Yet, a new candidate is not an easy path forward for Democrats either, as any candidate besides Biden would likely face significant legal and political challenges in swing states around the nation.
For example, to appear on the ballot in Georgia, Democrats would have to confirm a new candidate by Sept. 6, which is 60 days before the election.
Georgia, with its 16 electoral votes, is one of seven consensus battleground states.
In 2020, Biden won Georgia with just 0.2% of the votes, having the narrowest margin of victory in the country that year.
The latest polls have former President Donald Trump leading Biden by an average of four points in Georgia, which is outside the margin of error.
Polls in other swing states reflect similar numbers in favor of Trump.
This has many Democrats seriously considering a new presidential candidate, even as others rally around the 81-year-old.
On Wednesday, Biden supporter George Clooney published an opinion piece in The New York Times calling for Biden to drop out. The actor and filmmaker held a campaign fundraiser for the president just three weeks ago.
“It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate,” he said.
The Biden campaign has said they believe that former President Barack Obama is behind Clooney’s sudden change of heart.
“The Biden campaign, and many Democratic officials do believe that Barack Obama is quietly working behind the scenes to orchestrate this,” Morning Joe reported.
The other swing states are North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona, and all would have their own challenges for a new Democratic candidate.
The swing states have 93 electoral votes combined, which is over 17% of the 538 total electoral votes. A candidate needs 270 to win.
In Wisconsin, which has 10 electoral votes, Democrats have until Sept. 3 to submit the name of their nominee. After that point, death is the only reason for candidate replacement.
While Democrats could make this deadline if they propose another nominee at the Democratic National Convention in August, they would still need Biden to independently decide to drop out of the race before another candidate would even be viable. He must release the delegates pledged to him.
Biden has made it clear he has no intentions of dropping out.
“I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024,” he said in a letter to fellow Democrats this week.
Here is a roundup of the other swing states where a new Democratic candidate could face challenges:
• Nevada (Six electoral votes): Democrats have until the fourth Friday in July, which is July 26, to replace Biden. After that date, he must die or be deemed “insane or mentally incompetent” to be replaced.
• North Carolina (16 electoral votes): Biden can be replaced at least 75 days before the election, which is Aug. 22, through his death, resignation, or “any reason.”
• Michigan (15 electoral votes): The presidential candidate must be submitted within one business day of the party’s state convention or national convention, whichever is later. The state then defers to the party in the case of vacancies.
• Pennsylvania (19 electoral votes): The Democratic candidate can be changed up until 75 days before the election, which is Aug. 22. After that, only death allows for another candidate to be put on the ballot.
• Arizona (11 electoral votes): The Democratic candidate can be changed up until 75 days before the election, which is Aug. 22. After that, Biden can not be replaced on the ballot, even if he is dead or incapacitated. His replacement could run as a write-in though.
The Heritage Foundation, which has promised to sue if Biden drops out, reports that “at least 31 states defer to state or national party rules and committees for nominating in the event of withdrawal.”
The second presidential debate is scheduled Sept. 10. Republicans hold their national convention next week in Milwaukee, and Democrats on Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
