Now that President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the presidential race, the question facing the Democratic Party is no longer whether he can be replaced at the top of the ticket. It is how to do it.

The process is complicated and opens the door to political upheaval between now and next month, when Democratic delegates will gather at their convention to vote for a nominee.

Biden has the power to release all the pledged delegates he accumulated. When he does so, those delegates will be free to vote for whomever they choose. That could lead to an open convention, a rarity in modern American politics.

The prospect raises many questions.

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Now What?

There is no clear answer. But there appears to be two ways this can go, based on interviews with Democratic Party leaders and strategists.

First, the party could rally around Kamala Harris, the vice president, as a unifying force during a time of crisis. That would be the easiest road to take. She has been vetted and is well-known among Democrats. She has run a national campaign before. And she could take over the Biden-Harris campaign apparatus and bank account.

Some Democrats have argued that anointing a candidate is risky and say that the party would be better off with a competition and a more democratic selection process. That would require another candidate to get in the race. If that happens, there could be party-sanctioned forums across the country, with candidates questioned by a moderator in front of a national television audience. Short of that, the candidates could embark on a monthlong national campaign, jetting across the country to solicit support from state delegates and delegations.

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Which Democrats Might Jump Into the Race?

The key person to watch is Harris. If she becomes the consensus candidate, backed by Biden and other Democratic leaders, potential competitors with White House ambitions will have a big decision to make: challenge her, in a risky maneuver that could lead to damaging intraparty divisions, or stand aside in the name of Democratic unity.

The Democratic Party has a deep bench now. Among the potential candidates to watch are a handful of governors: Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gavin Newsom of California, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Andy Beshear of Kentucky. Other potential candidates include Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Cory Booker of New Jersey.

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Can Biden Dictate His Successor?

Biden can certainly recommend what his delegates should do, and considering his standing in the party, he carries a lot of sway. But he does not control his delegates: He cannot tell them whom to vote for next month. And party politics being what it is, they are most likely to go with whomever they think has the best chance to defeat Trump.

And any attempt to anoint his successor could risk setting off ideological and generational battling in the party, potentially weakening the ultimate nominee as he or she battles Trump.

What About All the Money Raised By the Biden-Harris Fundraising  Machine?

Biden and Harris have collected hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign funds over the past two years. That money has been allocated to the Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee and various state Democratic organizations. As of June 30, those organizations had a combined $240 million cash on hand. Most of that money could be put into service on behalf of the next candidate.

There is one big exception. The Biden-Harris campaign has, as of May 30, $91 million. If Harris is the candidate, that money is hers. If it is another candidate, the Biden-Harris money could be returned to donors (highly unlikely) or transferred to a federal super political action committee, which could spend it on behalf of the Democratic ticket. One candidate who would be free of these shackles is Pritzker, a billionaire who could finance the campaign on his own.

The Clock Is Ticking, Right? How Much Time Does the Democratic Party Have to Settle This?

The Democratic Party is about to see if it can mimic Britain: a huge consequential election in just over a month. Democrats will gather in Chicago on Aug. 19 for their nominating convention; the nominee is scheduled to deliver the acceptance speech Aug. 22. The party sets the rules, and nothing is set in stone, but this pretty much needs to be settled by Aug. 22. One more complication: The Democratic National Committee had been pushing for an earlier virtual roll-call in hopes of settling any doubts about Biden before the official vote.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Adam Nagourney and Jennifer Medina/Kenny Holston
c.2024 The New York Times Company