Amid Democrats' calls for President Joe Biden to step aside as his party's nominee for the upcoming presidential election, Rice University political scientist Robert Stein said the 46th president doing so is the only hope for other Democratic candidates running in downballot races this fall.
"Biden's diminished likelihood of reelection significantly undermines the Democrats' hope of keeping a majority in the Senate and gaining a majority in the House," said Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science and fellow in urban politics at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Stein said Biden remaining as his party's nominee would very likely have negative effects for Democratic candidates further down the ballot as well.
If Biden chooses to step aside, Stein expects Vice President Kamala Harris would be the obvious choice to take his place as the party's nominee and would choose her own vice president. A strong contender would be Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Stein said.
"Harris' presidential nomination avoids a long and damaging convention fight that could undermine any nominee's chances of defeating former President Trump in November," he said. "Whitmer's choice as the party's vice presidential nominee goes a long way to helping the Democratic ticket win Michigan, one of three critical battleground states Democrats must win in November to have a chance of winning the presidential election."
