US presidential election 2024: 7 Democrats who could replace Joe Biden if he leaves race

Joe Biden launched his re-election bid last year and has the backing of most elected Democrats

Biden is committed to the 2024 race, but there’s public speculation on whether he will stay in the contest

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At 81, Joe Biden’s age has become a cause of concern among many US voters. Photo: AP

Published: 1:06pm, 23 Feb 2024Updated: 1:09pm, 23 Feb 2024

After US President Joe Biden announced his re-election bid last April, the vast majority of Democratic leaders coalesced around his candidacy, which wasn’t surprising for an incumbent.

But Biden has one of the most unique backgrounds of any president in US history: he’s been a fixture in Washington for over 50 years, as a Delaware senator, vice-president, and now president.

And if he’s re-elected to a second term this fall, he’d be 82 years old at the time of his inauguration in January 2025 and 86 at the end of a second term.

Biden’s age has become a cause of concern among many voters, including some who are inclined to back him over former President Donald Trump.

The worries were amplified after Special Counsel Robert Hur released his report on the probe into Biden’s handling of classified documents, where no charges were recommended but the president’s acuity and memory were questioned.

Through it all, Biden has defended his re-election bid, argued that his age is an asset, pushed back against the special counsel report, and articulated why he should be reelected – pointing to accomplishments like the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act and touting the low national employment numbers.