In a surprising turn of events, President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race has placed Vice President Kamala Harris in the spotlight as the likely Democratic nominee. The move has left Wisconsin’s Democratic delegates rallying behind Harris, as the state gears up for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago this August.

The Democratic selection process involves delegates who are pledged but not formally bound to candidates, allowing for a degree of flexibility. This is unlike Repubilcan delegates who are bound by who the voters in their district elect in the primary elections, according to USA Today. 

With Biden stepping down, these delegates are now pivoting to support Harris. “The delegates across the nation are lining up for Kamala Harris,” said Kenneth Jacobs, chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission and a delegate, to USA Today. “When we go to convention, those persons will vote for Harris, and then Harris would become the nominee.”

Biden’s unexpected decision was met with praise from high-ranking Wisconsin Democrats. Senator Tammy Baldwin, who had previously been non-committal about Biden’s candidacy amid her own tight reelection campaign, commended the President’s withdrawal, calling it “the patriotic thing for him to do.” She, along with other key Wisconsin Democrats, has thrown her support behind Harris.

Wisconsin will send 95 delegates and seven alternates to the DNC, including notable figures such as Governor Tony Evers, Attorney General Josh Kaul, and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. The convention, scheduled for August 19-22, will formalize Harris’s nomination.

This unprecedented move has also caught the nation off guard. Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, noted to USA Today, “During this era, we’ve never had an incumbent president bail out after the primaries and caucuses were over.”