Washington, July 3 : Kamala Harris, the Indian American Vice President, is emerging as a leading choice for Democrats to take over from President Joe Biden should he step aside, bowing to growing calls from within the party following his disastrous performance in the first president debate of the 2024 cycle last week.

A new poll shows she is within striking distance of former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, in a head-to-head matchup.

Harris herself is being the loyal Vice-President of Biden, telling reporters that Biden is the party nominee and he will beat Trump again, after 2020.

That hasn’t stopped Democrats from across the party from announcing their support for Harris.

"I ran for President in 2020. I was the first Presidential candidate to endorse Joe Biden in 2020. I love America. I love our Party. I love Joe Biden," former Congressman Tim Ryan has written in a signed piece in Newsweek magazine.

"The Democratic Nominee in 2024 should be Kamala Harris."

Ryan ran in the 2020 primaries, which was eventually won by Biden who went on to win the race.

"Witnessing Joe Biden's struggle was heartbreaking," Ryan wrote, referring to the debate. "And we must forge a new path forward."

A fierce debate has been underway in the Democratic party since the debate last Thursday over Biden’s candidacy. No one disputes that Biden had a terrible debate. His supporters have sought to portray it as "one bad night", which does not define his candidacy.

But there are those, including Ryan, who are arguing that the debate showed Biden is not up to the job and he should make way for someone younger and able.