Shadow campaigns: 7 Democratic candidates who could step in if President Biden drops out of 2024 race

President Biden’s wide panned statement show has sparked a firestorm of speculation connected whether Democrats volition power horses midstream and prime a caller statesmanlike nominee from a mostly accepted database of candidates.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS

Harris, 59, would seemingly beryllium the astir logical fit, offering the smoothest modulation fixed her presumption arsenic vice president, and immoderate calls for her to measurement successful person already been issued.

"After heavy reflection implicit these past fewer days, I powerfully judge that our champion way guardant is Kamala Harris," Tim Ryan, the erstwhile Democratic congressman and statesmanlike candidate, wrote successful Newsweek connected Monday.

BIDEN'S CANDIDACY REMAINS UNDER THREAT AS TOP DEMOCRATIC DONORS GET COLD FEET

Potential Joe Biden replacements are Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer and Pete Buttigieg. (Getty Images)

Many experts person raised concerns astir the vice president’s support standing arsenic her canvass numbers person plummeted since taking office. Earlier this year, polling showed Harris is viewed negatively by a combined 53% of registered voters and positively by a combined 28% of voters.

CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM

If Democrats were to marque a determination distant from Biden, perchance astatine the Democratic National Convention successful August, the astir talked astir successor successful caller months has been California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Newsom, 56, has agelong been accused of moving a "shadow campaign" for president implicit the past twelvemonth arsenic helium has engaged successful high-profile events, including trips to China and Israel, and a highly publicized Fox News statement with Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Newsom, who is headed to New Hampshire this week to header a Democratic run lawsuit conscionable days aft Biden’s statement performance, has consistently denied immoderate plans to measurement successful for Biden.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters aft a statesmanlike statement betwixt President Biden and erstwhile President Trump successful Atlanta, Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

"I volition ne'er crook my backmost connected President Biden," Newsom said connected Thursday pursuing the debate. "I don't cognize a Democrat successful my enactment that would bash so. And particularly aft tonight, we person his back."

Newsom added: "I spent a batch of clip with him. I cognize Joe Biden. I cognize what he's accomplished successful the past 3 and a fractional years. I cognize what he's susceptible of. And I person nary trepidations."

MICHIGAN GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER

Whitmer, who won re-election successful 2022 by a double-digit margin, has antecedently hinted astatine involvement successful a statesmanlike tally and has reportedly vaulted to the apical of the database successful presumption of donor penchant successful caller weeks.

Online supporters person been pushing a "Draft Gretch" connection and Politico reported aft the statement that Whitmer spoke with Democratic Party enactment and disavowed that question portion besides informing that Michigan is nary longer successful play for Biden. 

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks astatine the SelectUSA Investment Summit connected May 4, 2023, successful Oxon Hill, Maryland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Whitmer aboriginal dismissed that reporting and reaffirmed her enactment for Biden.

"I americium arrogant to enactment Joe Biden arsenic our nominee and I americium down him 100 percent successful the combat to decision Donald Trump," Whitmer said successful a connection on Monday. "Not lone bash I judge Joe tin triumph Michigan, I cognize helium tin due to the fact that he’s got the receipts."

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG

Buttigieg burst onto the nationalist country successful 2020 erstwhile helium ran for president aft serving 8 years arsenic the politician of South Bend, Indiana, inspiring the nickname "Mayor Pete."

Speculation has continued to turn that helium would beryllium consenting to measurement successful if Biden were to driblet retired of the race, but lukewarm polling numbers and proscription issues crossed the United States could perchance harm a Buttigieg candidacy. 

"No, that’s easy," Buttigieg said Friday erstwhile asked if helium would enactment an effort to find a caller nominee.

PENNSYLVANIA GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO

Shapiro, 51, presently serves arsenic the politician successful possibly the astir captious plaything authorities successful the 2024 statesmanlike predetermination and polling past year showed him with a 57% occupation support standing successful the commonwealth portion 23% disapprove.

Shapiro took bureau successful January 2023 aft beating his Republican hostile by astir 15 points.

"Popular politician of a captious plaything state," Allegheny County Republican Party president Sam DeMarco posted connected X pursuing the CNN statesmanlike debate. "If you don’t deliberation he’s getting calls tonight, you’re deluding yourself."

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Donald Trump arrives astatine Trump Tower, May 30, 2024, aft being recovered blameworthy connected 34 counts of falsifying concern records successful the archetypal degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

ILLINOIS GOV. J.B. PRITZKER

Pritzker, who was re-elected successful 2022 by astir 12 points, delivered a triumph speech that galore believed sounded similar a person who wants to tally for president 1 day.

Pritzker said earlier this year that Democrats are "throwing distant their votes" if they enactment anyone too Biden.

Pritzker, 57, a billionaire equity capitalist and philanthropist, has been 1 of the astir outspoken Democrats against erstwhile President Trump.

KENTUCKY GOV. ANDY BESHEAR

Beshear, from 1 of the astir fashionable governmental families successful Kentucky, won re-election successful the heavy reddish authorities past twelvemonth arsenic a Democrat and has precocious been rumored to beryllium a apical campaigner to measurement successful and regenerate Biden. 

Beshear told reporters Monday that adjacent though Biden’s caller statement show was "rough," helium has nary volition of sliding into statesmanlike contention unless Biden bows retired of the race.

"He is the candidate, and arsenic agelong arsenic helium is, I’m supporting him," Beshear said.

Trump has gone up of Biden successful their 2024 predetermination rematch successful the aftermath of past week's statesmanlike debate, according to a caller nationalist canvass conducted successful the aftermath of Biden's highly unsmooth performance.

The erstwhile president stands astatine 41% enactment and Biden astatine 38% among registered voters nationwide successful a USA Today/Suffolk University survey conducted Friday done Sunday and released connected Tuesday.

The Democratic incumbent successful the White House and his Republican predecessor were tied astatine 37% successful the erstwhile USA Today/Suffolk University poll, which was conducted successful May.

On Tuesday, the archetypal elected Democrat successful Congress called connected Biden to measurement down.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas said successful a connection Tuesday that Biden should "make the achy and hard determination to withdraw."

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"My determination to marque these beardown reservations nationalist is not done lightly nor does it successful immoderate mode diminish my respect for each that President Biden has achieved," Doggett said. "Recognizing that, dissimilar Trump, President Biden’s archetypal committedness has ever been to our country, not himself, I americium hopeful that helium volition marque the achy and hard determination to withdraw. I respectfully telephone connected him to bash so."

Biden run communications manager Michael Tyler said determination had been nary interior conversations "whatsoever" astir Biden stepping aside, though he, too, acknowledged that the president had a "bad night" connected stage.

Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph, Paul Steinhauser, Kyle Morris, Greg Wehner and the Associated Press contributed to this report.