Explained: The process to replace Biden, and Cooper’s VP chances

CHARLOTTE — There are a lot of questions now that President Joe Biden announced he is not running for reelection, but the next priority for the Democratic Party is choosing a replacement.

Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, and she officially took over his campaign on Sunday, but the process is just beginning to officially replace Biden as the Democratic nominee.

In addition to becoming the official Democratic nominee, Harris must also select her running mate.

On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper confirmed he spoke to Harris on Sunday. When asked if he would accept being her running mate, Gov. Cooper said, “the focus needs to be on her this week.”

“I think it’s really important that we keep the focus on her this week.... that’s what I’m concentrating on right now,” he said.

The Democratic National Convention process

DNC Explained: How delegates will choose Biden's replacement in the presidential race

The Democratic National Convention starts on Aug. 19 in Chicago. It’s been decades since we’ve seen drama play out at a party convention -- normally, these are big parties where everyone gets together to rally behind their ticket. But before that can happen, the Democrats have to pick their ticket.

Every state will send a contingent to the convention, and each congressional district is represented. North Carolina is sending 140 delegates; South Carolina is sending 65.

Most of these people are regular delegates. They are party insiders or volunteers who previously were just expecting to go and cast their votes for Joe Biden. Now, they’ll be the first people on the floor to decide who the Democratic nominee will be.

About 4,000 delegates will vote.

If during the first vote, no candidate gets a majority of votes, then superdelegates will get to vote. These are elected officials, DNC members, and members of Congress.

Convention expert Dr. Eric Heberlig of UNC Charlotte says they’ll keep voting until someone has a majority of the delegates.

“Theoretically if the delegates divide their vote on many candidates, the superdelegates can come in on the second ballot and provide the margin to be the nominee,” Heberlig told Channel 9′s Joe Bruno on Sunday.

It’s early, but right now Heberlig doesn’t think the superdelegates will be needed. He expects most of the Democrats to rally behind Harris as the nominee.

In an emergency meeting Sunday night, the North Carolina delegation of DNC delegates unanimously voted to back Kamala Harris as President.

“We have this,” said Rep. Diamond Staton-Williams of Harrisburg. “We just need to stay calm, stay focused, and make sure that we show up before and on November 5.”

By the hour, high-profile Democrats are throwing their support behind Harris. It’s been a chaotic three weeks by Democrats are hopeful the party can be unified entering Chicago.

“The party is going to be fine,” Democratic organizer Dr. Aimy Steele said. “I truly believe everything’s going to be okay. And everyone’s going to be okay. But we do need VP Harris at the top of the ticket.”

From N.C. to D.C.?

From N.C. to D.C.: Gov. Cooper gets traction as VP candidate

If Harris is the nominee for president, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to be at the top of the list for potential vice presidential picks.

Cooper has been a loyal backer of the Biden-Harris administration. He’s appeared at all of their North Carolina rallies, including the most recent one last week.

He’s a moderate Democrat who has proven he can win tough races. In 2016 and 2020, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump won North Carolina, but so did Cooper. He also has a proven record, getting Medicaid expanded even through a Republican supermajority. North Carolina was also named twice as the best state in the country to do business.

State Sen. Natasha Marcus of Davidson told Bruno she hopes Cooper is the pick.

“He would absolutely deliver North Carolina for the presidency and that alone would mean we would defeat Trump and we would have North Carolina go blue once again, it would be fantastic,” Marcus said.

The short list for Harris’ VP pick also includes other governors. National news outlets are reporting that Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer could be possible picks.

Battleground North Carolina: The Democratic strategy for Harris

Battleground North Carolina: The Democratic strategy for Harris

While there’s still a question mark surrounding the nomination, Democratic strategist Douglas Wilson says Harris would be a strong candidate.

Wilson told Bruno that the VP isn’t starting from scratch. She has been very aggressive on the campaign trail and is essentially just picking up the baton.

Prior to serving as vice president, Harris was a prosecutor and a senator in California. She has become the Biden campaign’s most effective messenger on abortion, and she has been making numerous campaign stops each week.

This year alone, Harris has visited North Carolina seven times.

Wilson pointed out that Harris is a historic candidate and he believes she will be a strong contrast against Donald Trump.

“She has shown just now, I mean, you know, throughout the whole year and a half, being very strong on the campaign trail, she has been able to prosecute the case against Donald Trump to really highlight how bad his policies will be for the country,” Wilson told Bruno.

The Trump campaign isn’t wasting any time, pivoting from Biden to Harris. The former president campaign is already planning ads in battleground states, attacking Harris on the border and inflation.

(WATCH: VP Kamala Harris makes another trip to the Queen City)

VP Kamala Harris makes another trip to the Queen City

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