President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he is dropping out of the race after numerous calls among Democrats for him to pass the torch to another contender. Now, Democrats will be in the position of having to choose a new candidate to take on former President Donald Trump, and indications suggest that Vice President Kamala Harris could be the one to take up the mantle.

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In the weeks leading up, Democrats had been quietly coalescing around the prospect of Harris becoming the party’s nominee.

The behind-the-scenes discussions about propping up the vice president have reportedly been fueled by concerns about Biden’s electability, given his apparent cognitive decline.

However, the uncertainty surrounding the process of selecting a new nominee had led many Democrats to hesitate in publicly expressing their opposition to Biden’s candidacy. “The informal conversations about how a fight to replace Biden at the top of the ticket would play out have been raging for weeks behind the scenes,” according to CNN.

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— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

Many Democrats appeared to view Harris as Biden’s natural successor if he eventually gave in to pressure to drop out of the race. “She’s campaigning vigorously under the mantle, and she’s the natural successor. It’s going to be important in the scenario that the president isn’t the nominee that we rally around her immediately,” said a Democratic House member on condition of anonymity.

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Further fueling speculation about a potential Harris campaign are internal polls circulated among Democrats showing that she might fare better against former President Donald Trump. In fact, Biden has reportedly been inquiring as to whether Harris could possibly defeat the Republican candidate.

Internal polls that show Harris would at least be more helpful to boosting Democratic enthusiasm and aiding down ballot races are getting passed around. Arguments that she would be fastest to put together a campaign are landing harder. Daydreams of her making a more active and vigorous case against Donald Trump are taking root.

Many are deliberately holding off talking about hypotheticals as Biden aides say he plans to get back on the campaign trail next week once he recovers from Covid-19. But if that suddenly changes, two dozen leading Democratic politicians and operatives told CNN, they can’t realistically see this ending any other way.

Some are pushing for a fast and closed process, where delegates would bless the swap as part of their planned pre-convention virtual nomination plan.

Some reject the idea of a coronation, either because they prefer others or don’t like the way that would look. But – though there are musings about quickly creating a series of blitz primaries or town halls – no one can agree how that would work with just over 100 days until the election and much less than that before Democrats are scheduled to gather in Chicago. Still, it’s an idea some Harris backers support, doubting that anyone serious would challenge her, as much chest puffing as there is behind the scenes.

Harris appears to be prepared for the possibility that she might become the Democratic Party’s new standard bearer now that Biden has decided to bow out. “To some degree she’s auditioning for the presidency right now,” said Ashley Etienne, a Democratic operative.

Nevertheless, there are still concerns about how the process might turn out if Democrats push for an open process at the convention and the chaos that could ensue. This is likely what was motivating Democratic leaders who insisted that the party should stick with the president. But now, that is a moot point.

As the Democratic National Convention nears, it is clear the party is running out of time to make a decision. Now that Biden has removed himself from the equation, the party will begin the process of replacing him. If the reports are any indication, Vice President Harris will be the choice.