This story was written by Teen Vogue's 2024 Student Correspondents, a team of college students covering the election cycle from key battleground states.
It’s Joever, but what comes next is less clear. While the Democratic Party seems to be rapidly consolidating around Kamala Harris as the 2024 presidential nominee, voters are still reckoning with the fact that President Joe Biden will no longer be at the top of the ticket. In conversations with Teen Vogue, students and youth organizers in key states expressed a heady mix of emotions: relief, uncertainty, frustration, and excitement. Over DMs, emails, phone calls, and texts, some said they feel relieved that the 81-year-old president is stepping down in favor of a younger, more vibrant candidate, while others expressed reservations about Harris’s record as a prosecutor and second in command to Biden. Several said the move felt like “too little, too late” for the Democratic Party’s 2024 chances.
Teen Vogue’s 2024 Student Correspondents spoke to 29 young people from Georgia, Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Michigan about Biden’s decision to step down and how they’re feeling about what comes next.
Their responses have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
Georgia
“Biden dropping out is ultimately necessary and what was best for the party. Most of the younger generation, including myself, has not been happy with his decisions as president over the last year, specifically regarding foreign policy and just question his age and ability to properly carry out his job.”
Still, Rainey expressed concerns about Harris’s past as a district attorney in San Francisco, where her office prosecuted low-level marijuana charges.
“It definitely gives a renewed sense of possibility for what can be because now [Harris] is likely going to be heading the Democratic ticket. I think there’s a lot of possibility for her to be able to prove herself. I think she would be much stronger in a debate and be able to articulate… why America should elect her as president.”
“Kamala Harris… she has a not-so-great history, in my personal opinion,” Mehta says, referencing the marijuana convictions and overturning “so many people's lives for nonviolent drug offenses.”
Still, she adds, “In the interest of our country as someone with progressive ideals and progressive values…we need to back one single candidate.” Mehta notes that young Republicans have coalesced behind former president Donald Trump and she urges Democrats to do the same.
“It’d be really important to have someone as a VP, that would add onto Kamala’s base that already has name brand recognition,” says Batada, floating Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and California governor Gavin Newsom as potential picks.
Arizona
“Initially, I had no feelings. I’ve been more than disappointed and have mentally disassociated with the American government for years, especially as a young Black woman. After I sat with it, I was partially relieved that [Biden] stepped down due to his war crimes and support in the genocide taking place in Palestine.”
“My thoughts can be summed up in the word grateful. Grateful to have patriots like President Joe Biden willing to step aside and allow the United States an opportunity to potentially see our first female president. As a daughter of two Indian immigrants, it’s incredible to see the representation that could be fostered in light of this decision.
“I’m interested in finding out who the VP pick will be with hopes that they can match up to JD Vance and combat the dangerous political narrative in the US.”
“While it was very true that Biden would not win in a general election face-off with Trump, just based on appearance and persona. I also don't know if Harris is the one to beat Trump. At least in my experience a lot of young people, including myself, find Harris's flip-flops on positions and progressive policies to be kind of disheartening.… She's kind of a cringy candidate. I'm not sure how much she'll appeal to young people, but I do think that maybe her more progressive policy stances could help her really get a rebound from the Democratic base.
“Sunrise as a group has protested outside of Harris's home.… We'll see in the next few weeks where Harris stakes out her policy stances. But ultimately, I think it's young people, groups that propelled Biden to win in 2020, they should be the ones at the center of what we should be focusing on right now, not kind of this high-level, bird’s-eye view that we're getting from just like 10 party elites, the Clintons, and Obama.”
“[President] Joe Biden has served our country for over 50 years, which is beyond commendable. I believe he made the right decision to pass the torch to Kamala Harris. This is the energy that the Democratic Party has been lacking.
“We [now] have a younger candidate that’s been strong on protecting a woman's right to choose, the LGBTQ+ community, and voting equality.”
Florida
"I felt relieved as if I could finally breathe. I did not have much faith in Biden winning against Trump. People are hesitant to vote, which is bad when people are unaware that election ballots are not [just] about one thing — [they’re also about] local elections and amendments.
“I am holding onto hope. I have not seen so many people invested in this election until today. I have seen mutuals call people to action. People who weren't planning on voting at all are okay with Kamala. I am excited to see what the HBCU and D9 crowds will do because if nominated and elected, she would be the first president to have graduated from an HBCU and be a member of the D9 sorority. The feminist groups are ready to mobilize around her because, unlike Biden, she will actually say [the word] abortion and has been the most vocal of the two on the issue. The voter turnout and mobilization will be amazing.”
"It feels like too little, too late of an effort by the Democratic Party. Hundreds of thousands voted ‘Uncommitted’ in the primaries [over Biden’s Gaza policy]. It was clear months ago that Biden was not a suitable candidate. Now, instead of taking the hint back then, the Democratic Party offers the predictable pick: Kamala Harris. Harris is younger, a woman, a BIPOC, and overall more energetic as a politician which will likely earn her the liberal and Democratic votes.
“[But] we won't stop fighting until we get a candidate who actually represents and is willing to fight for the working class of America.”
"I was at IKEA when the news broke, so to have world-changing news happen while you’re looking at pillowcases always throws you for a loop. But in all sincerity, President Biden has served this country for decades and I respect the fact that he has the dignity to listen to his constituents and bow out while he still has time.
"I definitely think Kamala is a stronger candidate. She has just as proven a track record, she’s younger, she’s smarter, she’s a faster candidate. She is going to laugh Trump off a debate stage if it comes to it, but I’m just guessing.
“It feels like there’s just been a sudden invigoration coming out of the campaign now.”
“Honestly, I have no questions but just feel kind of defeated. I already felt that way with the election coming up, but this all just feels odd. I wonder why Biden waited until now to drop out. I feel like Kamala should’ve been on the ticket prior to this tbh.”
“I don’t think [Harris will] win. If Biden said he wouldn’t run again nine months ago, then she might have had a shot, but at this point she has no chance. Which is saying a lot because Trump isn’t a traditionally likable guy nor is he most people's first choice for president.”
Pennsylvania
“Biden’s decision is the right thing for the success of the party and the preservation of his legacy. He’s had a hard-fought and dedicated political career, and I hope he can be remembered for that. It will be interesting to see how Democrats rally in the coming months to get voters out. I don’t feel that same momentum that we had to get out and vote in 2020, but I hope this changes that.”
“It’s necessary. Despite what the general population felt, young voters were starting to turn on [Biden] months ago for his foreign policy and funding decisions. Kamala [Harris], however, faces the challenge of rewriting her campaign to encompass younger voters again, while also facing some strong political theater after the former president [Trump’s] assassination attempt. In the end, Kamala stands way more of a chance, in my opinion, than Biden ever did."
“He put the country’s needs before his wants. Thank you, Mr. President.”
“The divide between Democrats and Republicans is far more extreme than it has ever been. I struggle to even call it the Republican Party because it feels like something much more sinister.… MAGA believers and Trumpism have forever altered the anatomy of the Republican Party, making it completely impossible to coexist or create any type of unity. Biden stepping out is, I believe, a decent example of unity. At least he’s listening to his party and not trying to streamline propaganda into everyone’s minds to fake that he’s still fit for [the] presidency. But more than ever, I am scared for what the future holds.”
“Hopefully someone who’s not 95 steps up and can actually empathize with the future [generations.]”
“Biden dropping out of the race is sure to shake up Trump’s campaign given that Trump was only expecting and wanting to run against Biden.”
Wisconsin
“If I could describe it in one word, it would probably be ‘unsettled.’ If I could use a second word: ‘frustrated.’… My frustration really stems from the fact that Biden's age wasn't a question that just [suddenly] came up [during the debate].… Clearly there were [also] a lot of disagreements with his policies. I know that there was a really large uncommitted vote campaign that a lot of young people have advocated for and participated in because of his policies in Gaza and his role in aiding Israel.… There's just a lot of frustration on my end because there could have been a lot of different steps to mitigate this kind of panic and lack of time to prepare for a presidential election as big as this one.”
“I honestly wasn't too fazed by [Biden stepping down] because electoral politics in general don't interest me a whole lot as someone who doesn't plan on voting in November. It doesn’t really change much, whoever he endorses. It heightens the fact of why I won’t vote. In the past, Kamala Harris has been proven to support Israel and continue the surveillance of the carceral state.
“[I see voting as a distraction from] building with community, building community and power, centering poor folks and other marginalized groups in that organizing. It creates this loop of deception and continued oppression that is no good.”
"I'm really not optimistic at all because the sources of funding haven't changed. The identity of the Democratic Party hasn't really changed either. They're still trying to gaslight people into believing that they're the progressive party, and Democrats like to position themselves in opposition to the fascism of the Republicans. But in terms of foreign policy, they're very similar.
“I think that [Harris] pretty much represents exactly what Biden represents. There isn’t really much discrepancy there... They were a part of the same administration, she pretty much supported everything he was doing, and now he's endorsing her. I feel like this is really just a facelift for the Democratic Party; it's basically a PR stunt. That's what I feel and I think many other Palestinians are feeling this as well.”
“As much as I want to say I’m glad Biden has dropped out, it doesn’t make me feel any better about our future.… I’m afraid Harris will be able to get away with the same oppressive actions as those before her behind the guise of her identity… Obama was celebrated for his identity but didn’t follow through with the promises he ran on… Harris already has a legacy of violence but will be able to run as the progressive feminist candidate who promises to change the world. Our neo-liberal parents will love her. They will wear Harris ‘24 T-shirts and proudly display her name on rainbow signs in their front yards. Meanwhile, the same Black men will be incarcerated and used for prison labor, the same students will be arrested for protesting, and the same poor people still won’t be able to afford health care. US imperialism will be just as destructive, but now we just might get to see it in pink!”
Nevada
“Right now, I think it's more important that we show as a Democratic Party, we have our sh*t together.… If she's our best chance, I think I’d rather take Kamala than Biden. But again, I don't like that every four years it feels like we're choosing the better of two evils. I wish I had a candidate that I can truly endorse and get my vote.”
"I am not supporting Kamala Harris because it is important to remember that she was still complicit in the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Let’s be very clear in understanding that just because we recast the oppressor doesn’t mean they’re gone now.
“I don’t believe Kamala will be able to unite the Democrats around her and her running mate now. We are too close to the election. I think everyone should begin to organize, be in community, and get to know their neighbors. We must prepare for a Trump presidency. The fact that he is even this close to winning should motivate people to get organized!”
"I think this is definitely the best decision Biden could have made for the people. I’ve been talking to a few friends about this and it seems like not a lot of people are in favor of [Harris] being the next nominee. At the same time, I’d love to see a woman of color candidate, and that itself might work well in her favor.
“This definitely disadvantages the Republican Party a bit. I mean, most of the right’s campaign has just been ‘Biden is bad.’ There’s a pretty good chance for a Trump loss here if it works out in the Democrats' favor.”
“I am relieved that the Democratic Party will get a younger nominee. If a minimum age limit exists, then a max age limit should exist too. Kamala was the appropriate choice as the new nominee and I am excited to see someone younger who would set many milestones if she is elected. I would like to have seen more options for the Democratic Party in general.”
Michigan
“It was definitely overdue and would have been better for his narrative to have left before the debate because now it’s even more embarrassing. But he never stood for my community as a young person and as someone who stands with the people of Palestine, so good riddance. I don’t think we’ll find liberation in Kamala and I’m interested to see what tactics they use to try to sway younger people to like her because currently I don’t find her particularly inspiring or admirable, which is disappointing as a woman of color.”
“Biden was a uniquely flawed candidate, due to his personal relationship to Israel as well as his [discomfort with advocating] for abortion [as a Catholic]. The first debate showed these weaknesses well, beyond just his complete lack of mental faculties. On a question about abortion, he brought up [undocumented] immigrants [allegedly] murdering a woman. This was an unforced error that any other Democratic nominee would have avoided.
"I think it’s likely Kamala is the nominee and that is an improvement over Biden. I would put money on her beating Trump, as long as the party is able to run a competent campaign and not a redux of 2016.
“I also think Kamala will be a marginal or substantial improvement over Biden on the issues that matter to me, like Gaza, abortion, and health care.”
Correction: This article originally said Ashton Dolce was 17 and from Scottsdale. He is 16 and from Phoenix.
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