Vice President Kamala Harris is facing accusations of nomination rigging after President Joe Biden’s sudden decision to drop out of the 2024 race. Republicans have launched a barrage of attacks, calling the Democratic Party’s nomination process a rigged affair.
Senator Josh Hawley, a prominent Republican, claimed during a Fox appearance that the Democrats’ actions were akin to an “insurrection” and that they have “persecuted good Americans… for the last three years.”
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik also weighed in, stating that it was the Democrat Party and elected Democrats who were attacking democracy.
The controversy has drawn comparisons to similar criticism from Democrat-turned-independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long accused the Democratic National Committee (DNC) of rigging elections and denying him a fair shot at the nomination.
Jill Stein, the Green Party’s presidential candidate, echoed Kennedy’s sentiments on social media, accusing Biden of being ousted by “anti-democratic forces that rigged the field for him in 2020 and skipped the primary to anoint him in 2024.”
The DNC has long been accused of interfering in elections by party insiders. In 2017, a revelation from former DNC interim Chairwoman Donna Brazile that the DNC had engineered the party’s primary election system in favor of then-candidate Hillary Clinton caused controversy within the party. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and then-President Donald Trump argued it proved the DNC “rigged” the primary process against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who was running as a Democrat for the presidential nomination.
Despite the criticism, Harris has received a significant boost, pulling in over a quarter billion dollars in fundraising contributions across various super PACs and committees in a single day. Many prominent Democrats have already endorsed her, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Jim Clyburn, and other high-ranking members of Congress.
Some Democrats, however, are expressing concerns about the nomination process, advocating for a more transparent and open election. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have announced plans to meet with Harris to discuss the nomination process.
Former President Barack Obama has praised Biden’s decision to step aside but has not yet formally endorsed Harris. The DNC plans to hold a virtual nomination of their presidential ticket ahead of the convention, with the process to be finalized by August 7.
Some delegates have also called for an accelerated primary process, citing a desire to see the candidates on the campaign trail and earning the votes of grassroots delegates. Others, like Senator Joe Manchin, have advocated for a mini-accelerated primary, stating that this would help strengthen the nomination process and unite the party.
