What could happen at Chicago DNC as President Joe Biden drops reelection bid

After weeks of pressure following a much-criticized debate performance, President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he will no longer seek reelection to the Oval Office.

Biden also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party’s nominee for the presidency, thrusting her into the spotlight with a little more than three months to go until the 2024 election on November 5.

Now all attention will turn toward the Democratic National Convention, which will take place Aug. 19-22 at the United Center in Chicago. The decision on whether Harris will be selected as nominee, and who will take the spot next to her on the ticket as her running mate, will be made official during that event in what will undoubtedly be one of the most closely watched conventions in recent memory.

Here's what would happen along the way.

How could the Chicago DNC play out?

According to NBC News, Democratic Party rules outline what happens as Biden steps aside before his nomination was made official.

"Note that if this unprecedented situation were to happen, it’s possible the party could vote to change any of the rules around candidate replacement. And if it comes to pass after the convention, it’s possible state laws could complicate efforts to replace Biden on specific ballots," NBC News reported.

According to reports, 33 states abide by party rules by default when changing nominees, but that still could pose some legal challenges for the Democrats as they put together a new ticket.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has hinted that legal challenges could be brought in at least some of those states, according to Politico.

Biden’s decision to endorse Harris is not a binding one, as Democratic Party rules don’t allow him to simply select a successor in the role as nominee when delegates gather in Chicago.

According to NBC News, Biden won 3,900 delegates during the Democratic primaries, giving him a massive majority of committed delegates. Biden would have to release those delegates to allow for the nominating process to play out in Chicago.

"Number one is President Biden would have to release his delegates. They are bound on the first ballot no matter what, and that’s almost all 4,000 of the delegates are Biden delegates - they are pledged on the first ballot. The only way that works is if the Rules Committee, which the Biden campaign controls, or the president himself, frees those delegates up," Pete Giangreco, a Democratic strategist, told NBC Chicago. "The next step in the process then is anyone who wants to put their name in, they need signatures from 300 of those delegates, among those 4,000, and then you begin a process. The most likely person to get 300 signatures would be VP Harris."

Delegates released by Biden will be able to vote for whichever candidate they choose. A majority of the delegates will need to support one candidate on the first vote. If that does not occur, a second round of voting would occur, with superdelegates, who aren't pledged to any candidate, also becoming involved in the process at that time.

Once a candidate secures a majority of the delegate votes, they will be the party's nominee.

What about the vice presidential nominee?

That part of the story will also be fascinating, as there will likely be several candidates that will push for the role on the ticket should Harris secure the nomination.

It’s unclear whether Democrats have already planned out a nominee to run alongside Harris if she ends up heading the ticket, but many high-profile officials could be in the mix. That includes Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, to name a few.

The process would be the same for the vice-presidential spot on the ticket, as a majority of delegates will have to agree on a candidate.