President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from his re-election bid has sparked tons of questions over what happens now.
That includes questions about what happens to the Biden-Harris campaign and its $96 million in cash.
That depends on what happens with the Democratic nomination.
Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in his announcement Sunday. So far Harris is the only candidate after Sen. Joe Manchin, (I) West Virginia, announced he won’t try to rejoin the party and run.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
If Harris does win the nomination, she can utilize the campaign and its war chest.
“The easiest outcome for the Democrats is if Harris is the nominee,” Quinnipiac University professor John Pavia said.
Things become messier if Democrats opt for someone else.
Local
The Biden-Harris campaign could transfer the money over to the Democratic party to use in elections, including in support of the new nominee.
The other option would be to turn it over to a political action committee, or PAC, but that would limit the ability of coooperation with any candidates.
“The people running the PAC can’t call up the people with the campaign and say, 'Hey, how do you want us to use this money,” Pavia said.
That could present an advantage for Harris as she works to win support. Experts note another candidate may not have enough time to build a viable campaign, especially since some states start early voting in September.
“I think that could be very difficult for somebody to start from scratch at this point,” University of Connecticut professor Manisha Sinha said.
Delegates disagree on whether that should matter. Rep. Corey Paris, (D) Stamford, thinks it should.
“The president and vice president under the Biden-Harris campaign had raised a ton of money,” Paris said. “There are thousands of staff members.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut, who can participate after the first round of voting as a super delegate, thinks there’s still time for a winner.
“I think the Democratic party is going to pick its presidential candidate on the merits,” said Blumenthal, who has endorsed Harris.
Pavia said voters who donated in support of Biden, but don’t back Harris may be out of luck. The law appears to say that a political party is under no obligation to return or refund donations.
“I don’t think so, but the honest answer to that is no one really knows,” Pavia said, adding modern campaign finance lawyers only go back to the 1970s.
He said donors could ask for a refund, though, in hopes that the party does it anyway.
