(NEXSTAR) — After ending his 2024 reelection bid on Sunday, President Joe Biden threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” Biden wrote in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.
While his endorsement doesn’t automatically guarantee Harris the nomination, it still raises questions about how she might perform against Donald Trump in November.
One poll released on July 18 revealed that an overwhelming majority of Democrats approved of Kamala Harris replacing Biden, even before he officially ended his reelection campaign.
The Economist/YouGov survey found that 79% of Democrats would support Harris as the party’s nominee, and roughly 28% said Harris was more likely than Biden to defeat Trump. The poll was conducted among 1,582 respondents and had a margin of error of 3.1 points.
A CBS News poll, conducted last week, showed Trump had a slight edge over Harris, leading by three points (51% to 48%) in a hypothetical matchup. Meanwhile, Trump led Biden by five points (52%-47%). The poll, which surveyed 2,247 registered voters, had a margin of error of 2.7 points.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on July 2 also found that Harris would lose to Trump, but only by one point (42% to 43%), while Biden and Trump tied. The poll surveyed 1,070 adults and had a margin of error of 3.5 points. Reuters’ Jason Lange noted that the poll indicates “Harris’ showing is statistically just as strong as Biden’s.”
Another poll conducted by CNN in June revealed similar results. The poll (margin of error 3.5) surveyed 1,274 U.S. adults, including 1,045 registered voters. In a hypothetical matchup, 47% of registered voters said they would support Trump, and 45% would support Harris. Biden, on the other hand, trailed Trump by six points (43% to 49%).
Even before Biden’s endorsement, Harris was widely viewed as the favorite to replace him on the ticket. With her foreign policy experience and national name recognition, she has a head start over potential challengers, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
However, it remained to be seen whether other candidates would challenge Harris for the nomination. The Democratic National Committee’s chair, Jaime Harrison, said in a statement that the party would “undertake a transparent and orderly process” to select “a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
The Hill’s Lauren Sforza and The Associated Press contributed to this report.