Biden’s Withdrawal: Democrats Destroy Democracy for the Sake of Power

On 21 July, following intense criticism, President Biden announced his withdrawal from the election to be held on 5 November. Biden stated that he had withdrawn his presidential candidacy of his own free will. As Biden’s withdrawal is a rare event in American history, it has also raised many questions with regard to electoral law. In 1968 President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Democratic Party candidate, had also withdrawn from the race (having lost public support because of the US military losses in the Vietnam War, Johnson decided not to stand for a second term in the 1968 election). Since 1968 there has been no similar withdrawal. Biden’s withdrawal from the election with less than 4 months to go before the presidential election has therefore opened up debate within the Democratic Party both on the choice of a new presidential candidate and on what decision the National Convention delegates elected to support Biden will take.

In the United States, the parties’ processes for choosing a presidential candidate take almost two years. Biden’s resignation has also given rise to many debates about American democracy. As is well known, the presidential election in the United States is held every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Under the provisions of the law, the next presidential election is on 5 November 2024. Looking at the electoral calendar, it is clear that Biden would have been declared the Democratic Party candidate at the National Convention scheduled for 1 August. Biden’s withdrawal, however, has rendered void the processes conducted from January 2023 to July 2024.

Democratic elites, corporations, the media and billionaire donors successfully pressured the candidate chosen by Democratic voters to withdraw from the election because he was faltering and losing in the opinion polls. Democrats destroy democracy for the sake of power.

The presidential nomination calendar

In the United States, the electoral calendar for the parties’ selection of a presidential candidate officially begins in the spring of the year before the election. Accordingly, those wishing to become presidential candidates file their candidacy directly with the Federal Election Commission. When filing, candidates must prove that they have raised or spent more than 5,000 dollars in contributions or expenditure. Candidates must also designate their principal Campaign Committee when filing. This committee is the one that collects and spends donations. In American elections, candidates may raise direct and indirect donations for their election campaigns in the manner provided for by law.

After the candidacy filing process, the parties begin their candidate selection processes at state level. The state-level selection processes begin in the summer of the year before the election and continue until the spring of the election year. It is therefore worth noting that the electoral calendar for the 2024 election began in the spring of 2023. From January to June of the election year, the parties in the states hold primaries and/or caucuses to choose the presidential candidate. The party leadership in each state decides for itself whether to hold a primary or a caucus. Some states hold both in order to reflect the will of the voters better. State primaries are held as open or closed contests. Closed primaries and caucuses resemble the party preference polls held in Türkiye, in that only voters who are members of the party are allowed to vote. Although they resemble primaries in Türkiye, those voting in the primaries vote not directly for the presidential candidate but for the delegates who will choose the candidate. In open primaries, by contrast, everyone registered to vote in the state has the right to vote, regardless of party.

The delegates chosen in the states then vote for the candidate they support at the National Convention held in July and August. Under American electoral law, delegates chosen in the states are not obliged to support the candidate they declared in the primaries. Democratic practice, however, shows that delegates act in accordance with the will of the voters. Immediately before or during the convention, the presidential candidate also formally announces the vice-presidential candidate.

The President and presidential candidate chosen at the National Convention formally begin campaigning for the election of their own electors in the election held in November. Under the American electoral system, voters in the US presidential system vote for the “Electoral College”, which will choose the President. The Electoral College consists of 538 members in total. Accordingly, the candidate who receives the votes of 270 of the 538 members is elected President. The new president formally takes office on taking the oath on 20 January.

What awaits us after Biden

Since the Democratic Party hopefuls running for the presidency were unsuccessful against President Biden in the state contests held in 2023-2024, it was clear, if not official, that Biden was the Democrats’ candidate. The delegates would have voted for Biden at the Democratic National Convention scheduled for August 2024. After Biden’s formal withdrawal, the question of which candidate the Convention delegates will vote for has become contested. In terms of time, too, it is very difficult to hold new candidate selection contests in the states. It is therefore clear that the decision on who will be the candidate after Biden will be made by the delegates elected to the Democratic National Convention. Nevertheless, in a statement on his X account immediately after announcing his withdrawal, the US President said: “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.” Kamala Harris, who received Biden’s support, said: “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”

Despite Biden’s support, Kamala Harris cannot become the Democratic candidate directly. For this, Kamala Harris must be chosen as the official candidate by the delegates elected to the Democratic National Convention. The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago on 19-22 August. Biden had indeed received strong support in the state primaries. Although the delegates were elected having pledged to choose Biden, they are no longer bound, either legally or in accordance with democratic convention, following Biden’s withdrawal of his own accord. The Democratic National Convention delegates are therefore free to vote for another name. Besides Harris, other names who stand as hopefuls may also be chosen by the Democratic National Convention delegates.

Whether Kamala Harris or another name, once chosen by the Democratic National Convention delegates, the candidate is required under electoral law to file the formal candidacy described above, designate the Committee members and notify the Federal Election Commission. In that case, it also looks very difficult for donations raised on behalf of Biden to be used in the new candidate’s election campaign. It is likely that the candidate running for the presidency on behalf of the Democrats will open a new bank account and request donations for their own election campaign.

Lawyer Samir Altunkaynak, Deputy Chair for Electoral Affairs, AK Party

*This article was first published here.