Global Courant 2023-04-11 22:04:19
US President Joe Biden, 80, continues to indicate he wants to run for re-election, but he has not yet announced a formal bid.
Washington, DC — Chicago will host the 2024 Democratic convention, the party has said as it joins President Joe Biden in pushing to retain control of the White House.
The announcement on Tuesday sent a strong signal that the 80-year-old Biden will seek re-election next year, despite concerns about his age.
“Chicago’s bid for the convention was supported by a broad range of Midwestern Democrats representing the diversity of the party and demonstrating the formidable coalition that will help re-election President Biden and Vice President Harris, electing Democrats up and down ,” the Democratic National Committee (DNC) said in a statement.
The Midwestern states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota — all near Chicago, which is in the state of Illinois — were key to Biden’s 2020 victory.
On Monday, Biden explicitly stated that he wanted to seek the presidency again. “I plan to join now, but we’re not ready to announce it yet,” he told the American network NBC at an Easter egg event at the White House.
Biden is already the oldest president in American history. If reelected, he would be 82 at the time of his second inauguration and 86 by the end of that term.
While polling shows that some voters are concerned about Biden’s age, the position of candidates in US elections usually elevates candidates’ ranks, and incumbent presidents running for re-election rarely face serious primary challenges from within their own side.
NEW: TODAY @alroker asks President Biden about his possible presidential run in 2024. pic.twitter.com/3OELi0yJmK
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 10, 2023
Marianne Williamson, a renowned author and 2020 candidate, has announced a primary challenge against Biden and promises more progressive policies, but her campaign is largely seen as a waiver.
Earlier this year, the DNC moved its first presidential primary to South Carolina, a Biden stronghold among Democratic voters, all but saving the president from an early dismay if challenged for the party’s nomination.
Proponents of the move said it would increase diversity within the Democratic Party. South Carolina is more ethnically diverse than Iowa, which is largely white and was previously the first primary state.
Only a handful of candidates from both parties have officially launched a 2024 presidential campaign, including former President Donald Trump, who is seeking an electoral rematch with Biden.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has yet to announce his bid, is largely seen as Trump’s biggest rival for the Republican nomination. The former president faces criminal charges in New York and several investigations are underway, including his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Trump has dismissed the charges and investigations as politically motivated attempts to derail his 2024 chances.
Biden, for his part, has largely declined to comment on Trump’s legal woes.
On Tuesday, Biden welcomed Chicago’s choice to host the 2024 DNC convention.
“Democrats will come together to show our historic progress, including building an economy from the center and bottom up, not the top down,” the US president said in a statement.
Chicago, home to nearly 700 homicides in 2022, has been a frequent target of criticism from Republicans, who portray crime rates in the mostly Democratic city as the result of the failure of liberal policies.
Last week, Chicago elected progressive local politician Brandon Johnson as mayor against Paul Vallas, a more conservative, hard-line opponent of crime.
“I look forward to working closely with the DNC to facilitate a spectacular convention that showcases Chicago’s diverse culture, our beautiful lakeside, our renowned hospitality industry, and our greatest asset: our wonderful people. Johnson said in the DNC statement.
(TagsToTranslate)News
