The Biden campaign co-chair, Rep Marcia Fudge (D-OH), declared the President the “Democratic Nominee” before a single vote had been cast in the Democratic primary. Fudge made her statement during a MSNBC appearance saying that Biden will be the party’s nominee fight to the White House on 2020.
The statement quickly drew backlash from the Biden’s primary opponents, who quickly countered that the primary had yet to take place and that Fudge’s statement was premature and undemocratic. Biden’s opponents argued that the election calendar had been clearly laid out and that voters needed to have the opportunity to weigh in on who the party’s nominee should be.
The Biden campaign released a statement later that day clarifying that Fudge misspoke, and that while Biden has strong support from the party, the nomination would ultimately be decided by voters during the primaries.
Regardless of the response to Fudge’s statement, it serves as a reminder that the Democratic primary is still ongoing and that predictions need to remain premature until the voters have had the opportunity to make their voices heard.
