Hi John,

As we've all heard by now, President Biden has stepped down as the Democratic nominee for president. This is unprecedented in modern politics, and it leaves a lot of open questions. What happens to the delegates who had pledged to support Biden? What happens to the funds Biden raised? 

Let's break down what happens now: 

First, Biden can't directly pass his delegates to Kamala Harris, but his endorsement is about as powerful as it gets. Harris technically still needs to gain majority support among the almost 4,000 delegates to become the official nominee. While other Democrats can challenge her, Harris has secured the endorsement of more than the 1,976 delegates needed to win the nomination in the first round of voting, making her the likely presumptive nominee.

The DNC had planned a roll call vote this week to nominate Biden, but this will now be rescheduled. Delegates will need to meet soon, however, because the deadline to appear on the ballot in several states is fast approaching. A virtual roll call will be rescheduled, so a new nominee can be confirmed ahead of state ballot access deadlines — some of which occur the week that the convention is scheduled. 

As for campaign financing, Harris has already been handed the keys to Biden's war chest, since their campaign account was set up together. She's already raised more than $100 million since the announcement on Sunday.

We're in completely uncharted territory in an election that was already one for the history books. Make sure you're part of our social media community for the latest updates.

Megan Caska VP of Political RepresentUs