They are lawyers and school board members, labor activists and religious leaders, lifelong Democrats and party stalwarts. Some of them are just turning 18, others are approaching 80.
These are the people who make up the 3,939 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Some are elected, some are not. Each state has its own rules. They are usually elected to nominate a presidential candidate, which is a ceremonial task.
But in the unlikely scenario where President Biden steps down as nominee, they would suddenly have to choose a new nominee.
Most of these delegates were not trying to be kingmakers for the Democratic Party, but to be included in the list of Biden supporters who pledged their support to the president. But if Mr. Biden were to drop out, they would leap from the obscurity of being extras in a quadrennial television extravaganza to a group that carries the fate of the party, and in the view of many Democrats, the future of the country, on their shoulders.
Many are reluctant to even consider it as an option, reluctant to remain steadfastly loyal to the president while he affirms his intention to remain in the race. And some are overwhelmed by the prospect.
Phil Swanhorst, chairman of the Eau Claire County Democratic Party in Wisconsin and a first-time delegate, said he did not want to discuss what he would do as an uncommitted delegate if he were to be released from his pledge “in the midst of all the chaos.” Instead, he said he would follow the guidance of state party chairman Ben Wikler.
Ronald Martin, a social studies teacher and member of the National Education Association, a teachers’ union, fully supports the president and dismissed Biden’s debate performance as simply “a bad night.” He echoed the president’s words, saying they did not represent anything else. But if Biden were to step down, Martin said he would rather step back and evaluate the entire field than vote immediately on the alternative.
“I will respect President Biden’s decision, whatever he says, but again, I will sit down and listen to everything,” Martin said, adding that defeating former President Donald J. Trump remains the goal.
In a speech in Wisconsin on Friday and an ABC News interview later that day, Mr. Biden made it clear that he had no intention of quitting. “I’m going to stay in this race,” Mr. Biden told the Wisconsin crowd, to cheers. “Three and a half years of work are not going to be undone by one 90-minute debate.”
Nearly all of the delegates (about 99%) have pledged to Mr. Biden, reflecting the popular vote in the state primary. Unless Mr. Biden withdraws, they are not free to support any other candidate of their choice. There is a so-called conscience clause in the rules that allows delegates to break with their delegates, but it is rarely, if ever, exercised.
“This is not 2016, and this is not a divided delegate convention like it was in 2008,” said Donna Brazile, a former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. “This is the Biden convention.”
There are also about 700 “automatic delegates” (formerly known as superdelegates) who are elected based on their party roles. Governors, senators, congressmen, state party chairs, and other high-ranking party officials make up these delegates, but they do not vote in the first round of nominations.
The Democratic National Committee has yet to release its final delegate slate, but a review of the delegate slates released by each state party shows they contain a variety of names, as required by party rules.
Let’s take a look at the Wisconsin delegation. Among the 95 delegates, there are more than 20 local government officials, 11 current and former educators, nine labor leaders, six college students, and a former Milwaukee Bucks executive.
One of the local officials, Trevor Jung, is a transportation director in Racine, Wisconsin. He said he has been involved in politics since he was 12, when his single dad would drop him off at the local Democratic headquarters. Jung, a first-time delegate in 2020, is unlikely to get on the ticket if Biden isn’t at the top, and he’s not sure what he would do if there were an open convention.
“I haven’t thought much about it, partly because I think President Biden is going to be our candidate,” he said. “President Biden has had a bad night, and Donald Trump has had a bad presidency.”
Ahmad Rivera-Wagner, a top aide to the mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and a second-term Biden delegate, recalled receiving death threats in 2020 because people believed he had rigged the election.
“Yes, there is confusion, but the contest feels clear to me,” said Rivera-Wagner, adding that Mr. Biden would be best positioned to face Mr. Trump. He said he does not believe Mr. Biden will step down, but if that is unlikely, “I will look in my conscience and follow the Democratic proposal.”
Most state delegations have a number of delegates who have served in past conventions. Judy Mount, who Ponce de Leon said was “the first African-American to become the first vice chair of the state Democratic Party in Florida” since coming to Florida, has served in every convention since Barack Obama’s first convention in 2008.
She said she firmly supports Mr Biden and would follow his lead even if he leaves the party.
“Only if he makes that announcement,” said Mr Mount, 64. “I have the utmost respect for the young man.”
Washington, D.C., representative L. Janet Mobley, who said she was President Obama’s representative in 2008 and has been similarly loyal to President Biden, said he has done more “in his first three years than most presidents” and downplayed his debate performance.
She said she would follow Biden’s advice if he resigned.
“If he decides to withdraw, he will probably make a recommendation,” Mobley said, adding of Vice President Kamala Harris, “Kamala would probably be the best person to run. She is very capable, don’t get me wrong. But I have real concerns about whether the country is ready for a female president.”
Ms. Mobley mused that if Ms. Harris were to pick “one of the other individuals, like Newsom or Shapiro, we still have a winning ticket,” referring to California Gov. Gavin Newson and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Dave Jacobson, a delegate from Florida, is a year younger than Biden and called last Thursday’s debate “destructive,” but was buoyed by the president’s more energetic rally the next day and remains a staunch supporter. Like Ms. Mobley, if Biden’s withdrawal forces him to vote for someone else, Mr. Jacobson said “the vice president would be the logical choice.”
“It would be a tragedy if Joe steps down and Kamala doesn’t become our nominee,” Jacobson said. “If she doesn’t become the nominee, the Democratic Party is going to have a pretty devastating election on November 5th.”
Kim Jun, Ellie Murray, Andrew Park, Helmut Rosales, Elena Xiao and Amy Schoenfeld Walker Contribution Report. Alain Delaceriere Contributed to the research.
