If not Joe Biden, then who? For US voters Kamala Harris is the top choice, experts warn she may battle scrutiny

A recent poll has revealed that Vice President Kamala Harris is the leading candidate to replace President Joe Biden if he decides to withdraw from his reelection campaign.

Biden’s recent debate performance, which many found unsteady, has sparked discussions among some Democrats about the possibility of replacing him on the ballot before November.

Despite these concerns, the Biden campaign has confirmed that the president has no intention of dropping out. However, if he were to step aside, Harris, his vice president and running mate, would likely be among the top Democrats considered to take his place.

Poll picks Kamala Harris as the preferred choice

A flash poll conducted by Data for Progress on Friday surveyed 1,011 likely U.S. voters, including 387 likely Democratic voters, with a margin of error of 3 percentage points. The results showed Harris as the preferred choice, with 39 percent of Democratic respondents supporting her as Biden’s replacement.

Previously, campaign spokesman Seth Schuster told Newsweek, “Joe Biden is not dropping out.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom was the second most favoured option, with 18 percent of Democratic voters selecting him. Other candidates included Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with 10 percent, Senator Cory Booker with 7 percent, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer with 6 percent. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro each received 2 percent. An additional 6 percent of respondents preferred someone not on the list, while 9 percent were undecided.

Thomas Gift, an associate professor of political science and director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, told Newsweek that replacing Biden could lead Democrats into uncertain territory. “Although there may be an alternative with a larger potential upside, a Biden replacement is just as likely to face challenges in favourability after national scrutiny,” he said.

The Data for Progress poll indicated that 51 percent of Democrats and 35 percent of all likely voters believe Biden should remain the Democratic presidential candidate. Similarly, a Morning Consult poll conducted after Thursday’s debate found that 47 percent of Democratic voters and 59 percent of independent voters think Biden should be replaced.

At a rally in North Carolina on Friday, Biden addressed his critics, “Folks, I don’t walk as easily as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job. I would not be running again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul I can do this job.”

Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a Democratic National Committee member, has noted that Biden could step aside before the convention in August, face challenges from others seeking to win his delegates, or withdraw after the convention, leaving the DNC to select a candidate to run against the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump.