Joe Biden Just Stepped Down. What Happens Next?

President Joe Biden plunged his party into near-unprecedented uncertainty Sunday when he announced he was ending his reelection campaign just weeks before his party’s convention and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s next presidential nominee.

What follows is a riddle for everyone.

Speculation about Biden’s electoral future has been running high since the president’s presidential debate last month, but the party had been unable to reach a consensus on what would follow his departure from the election.

Some have even suggested that Harris be nominated to lead the party, given her place on an existing national ticket and her ability to inherit Biden’s campaign funds. Others, however, have pushed for some sort of mini-primary to test the rigors of the candidates who might replace her, with many Democrats still believing Harris would be the favorite in such an impromptu contest.

Democrats are still waiting to see who, besides Harris, would enter the race. Other names being floated include Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear; North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper; Maryland Gov. Wes Moore; California Gov. Gavin Newsom; Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock and many others.

Some of those lawmakers tweeted praise for Biden, with Newsom calling him “one of the most influential and selfless presidents” — but none had thrown their hats into the arena by early Sunday afternoon, and none had issued a quick message of approval to Harris.

Conversations will certainly begin around potential projects.

One plan, proposed by Democratic National Committee member James Zogby, calls for a kind of condensed primary, in which candidates would have to win the support of 40 of the DNC’s 400 current members, including four from each of the party’s four regions. There would then be two televised debates, and the process would conclude when the candidates are formally nominated and put to a vote by delegates at the Democratic convention next month.

Such a process would surely be condensed—the Democratic convention is in late August, leaving little time to sort through the wreckage of Biden’s departure before delegates formally choose a nominee. And delegates who swore an oath to Biden would be free to choose whomever they wanted, even if Harris were on Biden’s ticket, since the presidential and vice presidential ballots are separate at the Democratic convention. It’s also unclear whether automatic delegates, formerly called superdelegates, who aren’t chosen by primary results, wouldn’t be able to vote on the first ballot.

But some members of the Democratic National Committee believe the effort is worth it and that the remaining schedule leaves enough time, if only just.

“I was hoping that this would have been done sooner, so that there would have been more time for the condensed primary that we had hoped for,” Zogby told ABC News last week, as rumors swirled that Biden would drop out. “But even with the time available now, it can still be done and should be done because it’s better for the eventual nominee and the party that it’s not just a handoff, but that it’s a transparent and democratic process.”

Others, however, are urging the party to rally behind Harris.

As a Black woman, Democrats have said she could appeal to the party’s most loyal voters and that snubbing her would be an affront to those voters as well. Polls have also shown that she is performing better than Biden with Black voters and young people, two key demographics among whom Biden has seen his approval ratings atrophy.

But Republicans are eager to go after her over the administration’s handling of the border, and her 2020 campaign was marred by party and staff infighting, leaving doubts about what kind of campaign sprint she could muster through November.

Yet if she takes the reins of power, it could help limit chaos in an already confusing process, some Democrats say. And she will be able to count on powerful allies to support her.

South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, a Democratic kingmaker, said Sunday morning that while he supported Biden, Harris would be next in line.

“Now that donors and elected officials have eliminated the only candidate who has ever beaten Trump, it’s time to end the political fantasy games and unite behind the only veteran of a national campaign – our remarkable @vp, @KamalaHarris!! Let’s get real and win in November!” Ron Klain, Biden’s former chief of staff, posted on X Sunday.

No automatic delegate transfer to Harris

Democratic delegates are “pledged” rather than “tied” to a candidate, and while party rules state that delegates “shall in good conscience” reflect the views of those who elected them, there is no penalty if a delegate votes differently. That should make it easier for Democrats to adjust to this extremely tense situation.

Those delegates would not automatically go to Harris. The presidential and vice presidential races are separate at the Democratic convention.

Individual delegates now – suddenly – have a huge influence on their party’s nominations. There are about 4,700 delegates, either promised or automatic.

ABC News’ Isabella Murray contributed to this report.