Vice President Kamala Harris' past donors privately strategize in case Biden drops out

• Vice Kamala Harris allies are discussing scenarios in the event that President Joe Biden drops out of the 2024 campaign.
• The talks have focused on whether Harris would control the massive Biden-Harris campaign war chest managed by Biden's team, if the president were no longer in the race.
• Biden's team has said the president has no plans to withdraw from the race.

Vice President Kamala Harris' allies are privately discussing what her candidacy would look like if President Joe Biden dropped out of the race for the White House, and how they could help her, following Biden's disastrous debate performance on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter.

These conversations have been held over phone calls and text messages between some people who raised money for the vice president during her failed 2020 Democratic primary campaign against Biden and other contenders, these people explained.

Key issues include whether Harris would control the massive Biden-Harris campaign war chest managed by Biden's team if the president were to drop out of the race.

Harris has emerged as an early favorite to replace the president at the top of the ticket, but this does not guarantee that the Democratic National Convention in Chicago will not feature more contenders and a potentially messy battle for the nomination.

Harris would likely have the keys to most of the money, according to Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, who acknowledged the rules during a recent call with party donors. Biden's campaign began June with $91 million in cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission records. The entire political operation, which includes Biden's joint fundraising committees, entered July with $240 million on hand,