When’s the deadline to get a new Democratic presidential candidate on Texas ballots?
President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he’s withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race. So what happens next?
Minutes after Biden’s announcement, Texas elected officials responded to the news with mixed results. Democrats praised Biden’s years of service, while some Republicans called on him to resign from the White House.
The 2024 presidential election is just over three months away, on Nov. 5. Here’s what to know next about the presidential nominee process in Texas:
Who is the democratic nominee for president?
With Biden out, the Democratic party will need to nominate a new candidate.
Not long after his announcement, Biden released a statement endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the democratic party’s nominee. However, that doesn’t mean Harris will be on the ballot in November.
Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said the party will work on the nomination process in the coming days.
“Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people,” Harrison said in a statement. “Democrats are prepared and united in our resolve to win in November.”
When will the Democratic nominee be announced?
The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago from Aug. 19-22.
Occurring every four years, the convention is typically when the party officially names its presidential nominee. The same is true for the Republican National Convention, which took place last week and saw former President Donald Trump formally accept his third consecutive presidential nomination.
At the Democratic National Convention, nearly 4,000 delegates will vote on a presidential nominee.
Whichever candidate secures the majority vote of 1,975 will secure the Democratic presidential nomination, according to party rules.
How many delegates is Texas sending to the DNC?
Texas is sending a total of 273 delegates and 20 alternates to the DNC next month.
In the Texas Democratic presidential primary, Biden secured 244 delegates from the state back in March. Now, with Biden out of the race, these Texas delegates will need to vote for a new candidate at the DNC.
Just because Biden endorsed Harris for the presidential nomination does not mean she received his delegates automatically, according to NBC News.
When’s the deadline to get a presidential candidate on Texas ballots?
Texas Election Code explains what happens if a presidential candidate withdraws before the November election.
Section 192.062 states that if a presidential nominee withdraws on or before the 74th day before a presidential election, which would be Aug. 23, then the Texas Secretary of State can certify a replacement.
The Democratic Party chair must deliver certification of the replacement to the Secretary of State no later than 5 p.m. on the 71st day before the presidential election, which would be Aug. 26.
Essentially, Democrats have until 5 p.m. on Aug. 26 to deliver a nomination to the Texas Secretary of State to ensure the candidate’s name on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Both of these dates line up with the Democratic National Convention, which is from Aug. 19-22.
This story was originally published July 22, 2024 at 3:51 PM.
