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Joe Bidens universal name ID helped him win the Democratic nomination in 2020.

Voters wanted someone battle-tested and experienced, a familiar face to take on Donald Trump. He reminded Americans he had been in the White House before, knew his way around and could thrive in the highest office on his own.

Biden says he plans to run for reelection in 2024, but there are some doubts given his age and his low approval numbers.

Democrats are bracing for a beating in this years midterm elections, and there are plenty in the party who think Biden might decide not to run for reelection, despite his past statements.

Most of the speculation on alternative Democratic candidates to Biden has been centered on Vice President Harris, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and two senators who also were in the 2020 Democratic primary, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

But those five bold-faced names are far from the only possible contenders.

Here are five under-the-radar Democrats who could run if Biden steps aside.

The popular Ohio senators name comes up readily each time Democrats are looking for a candidate who isnt one of the main contenders like Harris or Buttigieg. He appeals to both progressives and moderates in a much-coveted traditional swing state that has been important to both parties.

When we talk about new faces and fresh blood, and what it means to be a Democrat in the traditional sense, he checks all the boxes, said one prominent Democratic strategist who has worked on recent presidential elections. The only thing he really lacks is name recognition.

Another party strategist said Brown has figured out the secret sauce in winning a tough state like Ohio, which has been trending toward the GOP.

Brown briefly dipped his toes in the water during the 2020 presidential race and surprised some Democrats by taking his name out of contention almost immediately. But those voices are quick to point out that Brown faces a big obstacle in 2024: Hes running for reelection.

Democrats across the ideological spectrum have long wanted Abrams, Georgias former state House minority leader and current Democratic gubernatorial nominee, to run for higher office, particularly after her meteoric rise in the party.

Best known for her prolific work on democracy reform after narrowly losing to current GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, Abrams was high on Bidens vice presidential shortlist before she announced a second gubernatorial run. That rematch against Kemp is one of the most anticipated of the cycle.

Absent a voting rights bill that many Democrats wanted passed during Bidens first term, the 48-year-old Yale Law School graduate has openly pushed for similar reforms across her state, hoping to set an example of what can be possible at the national level. That work was praised by everyone from Biden to prominent celebrities and even Trumps own niece, Mary Trump, as well as activists who consider Abrams an ally in their push for equitable access to the ballot box.

But as a strategist put it, Shes going to have to win a race first.

Khanna is the most overtly progressive name on the list. He co-chaired Sanderss last presidential campaign and considers him a close friend. He supports sweeping populist economic reform and has built a reputation as a foreign policy expert in Congress.

While he shares much of the ideology of the left, his fiercest supporters say Khanna has something that some other progressives lack: an eagerness to work with those who have opposing views within the party.

At just 45, hes more than three decades younger than Biden and Sanders, prompting some Democrats to speculate that Khanna could be a potential heir to the national progressive movement in search of a new leader.

Ro has an optimistic vision for the future of the Democratic Party and a strong economic message on American production and jobs that resonates with voters across the country, a source close to Khanna told The Hill. The 2024 race has to be focused on who can beat Donald Trump if he runs, but after that I think there will be the space and desire for new leaders like Ro.

The path to the presidency famously runs through governors mansions, and Democrats looking for glimmers of hope say thats where most of the action will be in the midterms, including in swing-state Michigan.

Whitmer, whos up for a second term in the fall, declined to discuss her potential 2024 prospects in an interview withNBC Newsthis week, maintaining that shes focused on improving conditions in her state and keeping her current position. Polls indicate she ison track to win.

She even went as far as to say she would offer Biden her support if he decided to seek the White House again. But the big question, of course, is if. Democrats haveraised more concernsrecently about Bidens age, leading some to urge him to step aside for a younger candidate to compete, placing Whitmer, 50, in the mix.

Like Abrams, Whitmer got serious consideration during Bidens vice presidential search, with some in his inner circle angling for her to be chosen.

He really identified with her, said one Biden ally. I think he came really close to choosing her.

She became more widely known for implementing pragmatic safety measures during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, but has also been a favorite target of her states Republicans, who still maintain Trump won the presidential election over Biden and are eager to take her out of office.

The former New Orleans mayor rose to prominence when, in 2017, one year after Trump reclaimed the Oval Office, he called for the longest standing Confederate monuments to be taken down in Louisiana.

In an impassioned speech, Landrieu illustrated diversity as the nations strongest unifier amid times of turmoil.

In the second decade of the 21st century, asking African Americans or anyone else to drive by property that they own occupied by reverential statues of men who fought to destroy the country and deny that persons humanity seems perverse and absurd, he said.

Democrats have since seen the former mayor, who worked as a senior administration adviser during the bipartisan infrastructure negotiations, as able to bring together new groups of voters.

Mitch Landrieu is the only candidate in my mind that can rebuild the Obama coalition from 2008, said Michael Starr Hopkins, a Democratic operative who worked on a primary campaign in the last presidential cycle. His appeal to African Americans as well as white Southerners is a rare skill. Hes built relationships, much in the way Joe Biden did.

Updated at 7:07 a.m.

Excerpt from:
Five under-the-radar Democrats who could run for president in 2024 - The Hill

On the first weekend after the Supreme Court overturned nearly five decades of constitutional abortion rights, Democrats seized on the ruling to portray their Republican opponents as threats to women and their health care providers, while two sitting G.O.P. governors welcomed the decision, as they tried to emphasize that the matter is a local issue with more debate to be had.

Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia who is in a rematch with the Republican she narrowly lost to four years ago, told CNNs State of the Union, that the public should take into very real consideration the danger Brian Kemp poses to the life and welfare of women in this state.

Ms. Abrams also told CNN that Mr. Kemp intends to adds incest and rape as prohibitions.

Tate Mitchell, a spokesman for Mr. Kemp, said in a statement that Ms. Abrams is lying and that Mr. Kemp supported the states law that includes exemptions for rape, incest, life of the mother, and ectopic pregnancies.

Ms. Abrams also appeared on Fox News Sunday, and said, We cannot cherry-pick when we pay attention to the lives and safety of women.

After noting Mr. Kemp refused to expand Medicaid in Georgia, Ms. Abrams said, He has refused to support women at every stage of their lives when they are trying to make the best choices for themselves and their families.

The CNN anchor Jake Tapper said Mr. Kemp had been invited to appear on the show. Mr. Mitchell said Mr. Kemp was unable to appear because he was at the Georgia Municipal Association conference in Savannah.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Democrat of Michigan, told CBSs Face the Nation that state lawmakers had already introduced legislation to criminalize and throw nurses and doctors in jail if they perform abortions.

And legislators, she said, endorsed a 1931 law making abortions in the state a felony as have all of the Republican people running for governor. They want abortion to be a felony: no exception for rape or incest. Thats the kind of Legislature that Im working with. Thats the kind of matchup Im going to have this fall.

Republican governors on the Sunday shows, while welcoming the courts ruling, repeatedly emphasized that the debate and discussion around this issue will continue, framing it as a matter of states rights.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas said on NBCs Meet the Press that although the ruling was something the pro-life movement worked for over 40 years to achieve, we have to remember, this not a nationwide ban on abortion. Every state will have the ability to make its decisions.

Later, Mr. Hutchinson tried to assuage concerns that other rights could be rolled back: This is not about contraception. This is not about same-sex marriage: a very limited decision on this particular issue of abortion.

And it is very important right now to assure women that the access to contraception is going to be able to continue. Later, when asked if, as president, he would sign a national law outlawing abortion, Mr. Hutchinson, who is considering a run in 2024, said no.

I dont believe that we ought to go back to saying there ought to be a national law thats passed. We fought for 50 years to have this return to the states. Weve won that battle. Its back to the states. Lets let it be resolved there.

Another Republican, Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, told ABCs This Week that the Supreme Court ruling was wonderful news, and that her state would now ban abortions except to save the life of the mother. But I anticipate therell be more debate and discussion because the ruling gave the authority back to the states to make these decisions.

When asked what would happen if a South Dakota resident traveled to another state to get an abortion, Ms. Noem replied, That certainly isnt addressed in our statute today and so I think thats things that therell be debate about but also, were having lots of debates in South Dakota.

Read more:
How Democrats and Republicans explained the Roe fallout on Sunday talk shows. - The New York Times

Midwestern states are battling to be bumped up to a coveted early slot in the Democratic presidential nominating calendar, jump-starting what election watchers say could be a big shake-up ahead of the 2024 election.

Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois are among the states hoping to exert more influence and help diversify a lineup led by the largely rural and predominantly white states of Iowa and New Hampshire that many Democrats say doesnt represent the partys true strength.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has announced 17 finalists to be among the first four or five, including Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and all four current early primary states. State party officials began drafting proposals earlier this year and are set to make their cases to the bodys regulatory committee later this month.

Proponents of Michigan and Minnesota point to them being critical swing states that helped elect President Biden. Geography matters too, they say. If Iowa gets the boot from its traditional role as the first-in-the-nation caucus state, either state would provide an alternative in the Midwest.

There needs to be a Midwest state, Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell (D) told The Hill in an interview. Were the heart of the country.

After going for former President Trump by a slim margin in 2016, Michigan flipped back to blue four years later to give Biden enough Electoral College votes to help win the presidency.

I was one of the people that told people that Donald Trump would win Michigan in 2016, and, by the way, people in both parties thought that I was crazy, and I think it stunned a lot of people, Dingell said. It is a purple state, and we do decide who the presidents going to be.

Im not interested in presidential candidates testing the waters in my state. Im interested in seeing the candidates answers to the questions that voters care about, she added.

Democrats see an advantage to having a generalelection battlegroundgo earlier in the process, arguing that theres value in showing voters the kind of candidates who can win in the fall, even a year or more ahead of the next presidential race.

The economy is diverse, the population is diverse, the geographical population is diverse, the educational levels are diverse, said John Anzalone, one of Bidens top pollsters who works on Michigan elections.

If youre a presidential candidate looking to be tested with a bunch of different universes of voters, its really perfect, he said.

Michigan Democrats are expected to pitch their case to the DNCs Rules and Bylaws Committee, the governing force that decides the order of the calendar, on June 23.

As part of their case-building, they recently sent a letterto the national party listing reasons they believe the Great Lakes State is best suited to appear on the early roster. The memo was signed by Dingell and the rest of Michigans congressional delegation.

Minnesota is also high on Democrats list of considerations. It currently leans blue, but also has a strong independent streak that state party officials believe can be beneficial to voters.

In 2016, it awarded Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) a momentum-boosting win over Hillary Clinton, which temporarily changed the narrative that progressives cant catch on in geographically diverse areas. Clinton took Minnesota in the 2016 general election and in 2020 Biden won the state over Trump.

Our state is a true microcosm of the country, said Ken Martin, who chairs Minnesotas Farmer-Labor Party and serves as the vice chairman of the DNC.

Martin has been closely involved in navigating the complicated process each presidential cycle. As president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, hes seen the importance of bringing new perspectives into the conversation that set the tone and direction for the election.

Martin believes Minnesota, which currently votes on Super Tuesday, brings together diverse racial and ethnic communities, a strong agriculture industry and the presence of rural Democratic voters. He also praised the strong union and business footprint.

Presidential candidates who can bring all of these voters together and win in Minnesota would be well positioned to win across the country, he added.

Adding to the intrigue, a third state, Illinois, has also thrown its hat in the ring. Officials there recently submitted their pitch to the DNC, also citing the states unmatched diversity in the Midwest.

That diversity would strengthen candidates campaign messaging and tactics for both the primary and general elections, because winning in Illinois requires building the kinds of broad-based coalitions necessary to win the Electoral College in November, the state party wrote.

Biden was the overwhelming favorite in the Prairie State in 2020, outcompeting Trump by double digits. That could ultimately work against its chances of moving up, as many Democrats are openly expressing a desire for a battleground to serve as a test run ahead of the eventual Democrat vs. Republican match-up.

Still, others see the upside overtaking any potential shortcomings. An official with the state Democratic Party listed recent Democratic gains there as reasons for the national party to consider its bid.

We really have a blueprint here for national candidates and how to translate Democratic values and Democratic campaign tactics into persuading voters, turning them out and winning, said Jake Lewis, deputy director of the Illinois Democratic Party.

We are a bigger state. We understand that, Lewis continued. But Democrats have to win big states.

We vote to be able to win big states like Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and so testing Democratic candidates early on their ability to organize in bigger states and their ability to organize in bigger cities in a city like Chicago, its really important, he said.

Even as newcomerstry outfor a spot, the original first four are working to keep their places on the calendar.Election strategistssay that may be hardest for Iowa.

Democrats have long lamented the states prominence in the process, pointing to its lack of racial diversity and its rightward tilt in recent years. The highly public debacle in 2020, when atechnology malfunctioncauseduncertainty among voters and problems for party officials,may have been the final push to retool the calendar.

But supporters of Iowa keeping the electoral status quo are fighting to maintain its first-in-the-nation status, saying the state has played a defining role in previous races that sent more liberal candidates to the White House.

There wouldnt have been a President Obama without Iowa, said Ross Wilburn, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party.

But they are open to making a significant change. Another major criticism of the caucus process is that it excludes anyone who may not be able to spend multiple hours at the event on a cold, winter night. TheDes Moines Registerreported earlier this month that state party officials have put forward a plan where voters wouldsend inpresidential preference cards in advance.In an attempt at compromise,the results would be announced on the original caucus date, but the voting process itself would be closer to a traditional primary.

And for officials such as Wilburn, the states small size is an asset. I understand other states wanting to be part of the process, but our presidential nominee cannot be decided by large media markets and candidates who just have larger dollars, he said.

We have an affordable television market, and a candidate who doesnt have the funds necessarily or the notoriety nationally, initially, they can campaign here in Iowa. Theres great grassroots strength. Our friends and neighbors help inform the messaging of presidential candidates, he said.

See the original post here:
Midwest Democrats jockeying to come out on top in primary calendar shake-up - The Hill

Leaving aside, for now, possible Election Day consequences if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, or further damning revelations in the House Bill 6-FirstEnergy scandal, Ohio Republicans are sitting pretty as the state slogs into Campaign 22. The primary election for state legislative offices will be held on Aug. 2, the general election on Nov. 8.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and Democrat Nan Whaley, once Daytons mayor, are vying for the governorship. And Republican J.D. Vance, a Middletown native, and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a suburban Warren Democrat, are competing to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman, of suburban Cincinnatis Terrace Park.

There are facts that separately favor Republicans in each contest.

Fact one, as to DeWine-Whaley: The last time Ohioans retired a Republican governor was in 1958. But voters have since retired three Democratic governors Govs. Michael V. DiSalle in 1962, John J. Gilligan in 1974, and Ted Strickland in 2010.

Fact two, as to the Vance-Ryan contest: Since Ohioans began to directly elect senators in 1914 by sending Marion Republican Warren G. Harding to the Senate there have been 10 Senate races in which, like this years, neither Ohio nominee was the incumbent. Republicans won nine of those contests. The exception: 1974, when Democrat John Glenn beat the GOPs Ralph Perk, then Clevelands mayor.

True, in Ohio elections, as in all things, history isnt necessarily destiny. As the great historian Gordon Wood wrote, If history teaches anything, it teaches humility. So, at this stage of their campaigns, Whaley, for governor, and Ryan, for the Senate, stand every chance of besting DeWine and Vance, respectively. But to the extent the past can suggest patterns, theyre each going to have to campaign extra hard, and extra widely, in Ohio.

Also on the statewide ballot are races for attorney general, state auditor, secretary of state and state treasurer. Republicans hold those posts now, and unless a scandal erupts, or someone dumps a ton of money into the campaigns of Democratic challengers for those offices, the Republicans who hold them now are likely to be holding them next year.

Meanwhile, in the struggle for the Ohio General Assembly, Republicans are well-positioned again, absent further seamy revelations about the HB 6-FirstEnergy affair.

Even if newly drawn General Assembly districts werent biased in favor of the GOP and they are Republicans running for Ohios House and state Senate hold a huge fundraising edge over Democrats.

Thats long been true at the Statehouse: Once a General Assembly caucus is in the minority (as state Senate Democrats have been since January 1985, and Ohio House Democrats since January 2011), its members basically become legislative spectators, not bill-passers. The people who fund campaigns, though, are usually looking for bill-passers, not bystanders. The lobbies are interested in results. And only a majority caucus can produce those.

Beyond DeWine-Whaley and Ryan-Vance, this years pivotal contests for people who ... invest ... in state government will likely be the race for three state Supreme Court seats.

To recap: Republican Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, who sided with Democrats in this years fight over legislative districts, is retiring. Competing to succeed OConnor are Democratic Justice Jennifer Brunner and Republican Justice Sharon Kennedy.

Seeking re-election are Republican Justices R. Patrick Pat DeWine, the governors son (challenged by Democratic 1st Ohio District Court of Appeals Judge Marilyn Zayas of Cincinnati), and Patrick Fischer (challenged by Democratic 10th Ohio District Court of Appeals Judge Terri Jamison of Columbus).

Ohio Supreme Court contests have become even more critical for both parties: Because of Ohios redistricting mess, this years wrestling match over General Assembly lines will play out again in 2023 and 2024 because the General Assembly districts used in this Novembers election will depending on more courtroom jousting be redrawn again for 2024s election.

Whether Brunner or Kennedy is elected chief justice, Mike DeWine would appoint a Republican to the remainder of either justices term as an associate. Thatd leave the court 4-3 Republican. But if Democrats unseated Pat DeWine or Fischer, thatd make the high court 4-3 Democratic and leave utilities, insurance companies and the General Assemblys GOP caucuses very unhappy. They like things the way they are. But do ratepayers and policyholders?

Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens.

To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-408-9474

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More:
The odds, and the money, are against Ohio Democrats in the fall: Thomas Suddes - cleveland.com

Analysis

10:00

by Joel Kotkin

Fly, you fool. Credit: Getty

There is no question that the Democrats are going overboard on the staged theatrics surrounding the horrific events of January 6th. This is a clear attempt by the Party to revive their electoral prospects this autumn, but they may well end up undermining the only man who can save them: Donald Trump.

The hearings already face diminished ratings. After the first day, audience figures fell by 50% and seem unlikely to persuade most fair-minded people that January 6th was anything like the insurrection its painted as. What emerges instead is a confirmation of mass stupidity by addled MAGA activists set in motion by a cheerleading Chief Executive.

Trump certainly bears his share of the blame for January 6th but not as an organiser of a coordinated rebellion in the historic sense. A coup? Without guns and no military or police support? Mussolini, he is not. January 6th lacked the focus and planning of the March on Rome and theres certainly nothing of the organised violence that facilitated the Nazi rise to power. Instead, Trump comes off as a hopeless narcissist unwilling to accept his loss even when presented with the facts by his most reliable advisors.

What is catching up with Trump is not his fascist leanings but his pathetic character as an overaged Baby Huey. Progressives and Democrats revel in the idea that the GOP is now a tool of Trump as the unassailable il duce. But in reality, the ex-President is not getting stronger, but weaker. His poll numbers, even among Republicans, have weakened, as more members claim to identify with their party rather than its titular leader. Trump does not retain the respect and loyalty that Ronald Reagan, for example, maintained among a broad part of the party.

Trumps paranoid, personal style so evident in the hearings is no longer unchallenged inside the party. This year his record of endorsements, particularly in hotly contested races, is mediocre. His loss in Georgia, against state officials he desperately wished to topple, was particularly revealing. Last week in South Carolina, he was only partially successful in his drive to expel disloyal house members. There are even signs that he may have lost the support of the Murdoch empire.

This is not to say that Trump might not win the GOP nomination, which would be a disaster for the party and country. Even though Trump still leads the field, its likely much of the party would favour figures like former Vice President Mike Pence, Floridas Ron DeSantis or South Carolinas Tim Scott or Nicky Haley. For many, a Trumpista policy agenda without the diversions of Trumpian insanity may prove appealing.

As for the rest of us, its clear that we are fed up with both of the flawed alter cockers who have run this country into the ground. Over 70% of Americans would prefer that neither one runs again.

But we may be forced to accept this choice. If as in 2016 the opposition to him is divided, Trump can skate to victory with 30% of the Republican primary vote. This would give the Democrats a rallying point that they will sorely need, particularly if their likely candidate is an ever more debilitated Joe Biden or the remarkably unappealing Kamala Harris. Indeed, even amid the awful performance of this Administration, Trump polls about even with the likely Democratic candidate.

The hope here is that sentient elements in the Republican Party can stop Trump from ruining what could be a historic opportunity to stop the more extreme progressive agenda. At the same time, the GOP can be recast as the voice of the middle and working class. In this, the Democrats may be helping by placing emphasis on Trumps personal awfulness. If Trumps image continues to fade, even to the point of caricature, the GOP may end up thanking Nancy Pelosi for saving their party from itself.

More:
Trump is the Democrat's secret weapon - The Post - UnHerd