US President Joe Biden announced on Sunday afternoon that he is dropping out of the presidential race in a move that has not exactly shocked the nation.
Nevertheless, it is an uncommon occurrence, and now the question on everyone’s lips is: What now?
When a sitting US president decides not to run for re-election, several things can happen.
Who steps up?
Typically, the vice president or other prominent members of the president's party may run for the nomination. That could be Vice President Kamala Harris or another high-ranking individual in the Democratic Party.
The party will hold primaries and caucuses to select their candidate for the general election.
How does this impact the Democratic Party?
This decision by Biden could significantly shift the already fraught dynamics in the Democratic Party, within which several prominent voices had already been calling for Biden to step down from the race before the announcement.
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In the past, potential candidates within the party would begin positioning themselves for a presidential run, leading to a competitive primary season. However, we are already quite close to the elections, so that may not be true. A candidate will most likely be announced very soon.
Is Biden becoming a lame duck?
A president becomes a lame duck after a successor is elected, during which the outgoing president and the president-elect typically initiate the transition of power.
While no new president has been elected yet, Biden is no longer in the race, so he may very well take on that title sooner rather than later. It represents a significant waning in his influence.
Has this happened before?
This is not the first time a US president has decided not to rerun for office. In 1849, President James K. Polk chose not to run for a second term.
President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he would not seek re-election in 1968 amidst the Vietnam War and domestic turmoil.