With midterm elections over, political attention is turning to the 2024 presidential race. The fundamental question of who should lead the Democratic Party in 2024 to maximize the party’s chance of success still stands. 

Fortunately for Democrats, there are a variety of strong options for their next nominee. In addition to the incumbent president, they have an impressive array of potential candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, electoral strengths and cross-group appeal. These include the current Vice President Kamala Harris and other top contenders from the 2020 primaries, such as Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg or Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Of these candidates, three stand out as top contenders: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris.

As the incumbent president, Biden is favored to be the party’s nominee. He has managed well through multiple economic and geopolitical challenges thus far. Biden led the nation through the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing economic issues and the war in Ukraine, as well as long-standing tensions with China. Biden has repeatedly proved his capability to the American public and has more than sufficient experience to continue as president following his first term. The largest concern regarding his candidacy is his age, but his popularity within the party remains high and will be boosted by the Democrats’ strong performance in the recent midterms.

Another strong contender, Sen. Bernie Sanders, is an anti-establishment candidate and a champion of progressive values. Sanders remains popular within the party, receiving the highest favorability rating among potential candidates in a recent USA Today Poll. His authenticity and long-standing drive for greater equality in American society are appreciated by voters across party lines and demographics, as evidenced by his popularity with young voters despite his age.

Finally, Vice President Kamala Harris could be the younger candidate the party needs. Harris has been instrumental in navigating turbulent social and political scenes over the past few years. The highest-ranking female official in U.S. history and the first African American or Asian American to serve as vice president, she brings extraordinary cross-cultural background to the election. Furthermore, her prior experiences as a U.S. senator and California’s district attorney and attorney general have helped her manage urgent domestic policy issues, such as urban poverty and systemic inequality.

Given the promising list of potential candidates, the question of the Democrats’ next nominee ultimately boils down to Biden’s reelection campaign.