Self-help guru to rival Biden for Democrat nomination

A PROMINENT self-help author has become Joe Biden’s first challenger for the Democrat presidential nomination in 2024, accusing him of “spitting in the face of democracy”.

Marianne Williamson stood in 2020 and yesterday confirmed she would do so again. During her first tilt, she qualified for the first two primary debates but later dropped out of the race and endorsed Benie Sanders, the democratic socialist candidate.

Ms Williamson, 70, has made frequent television appearances as a guest of Oprah Winfrey.

She condemned Mr Biden’s decision to change the order in which states will vote for the party nominee in 2024.

Mr Biden pressed for Iowa to be replaced as the first to vote by South Carolina, the state which ultimately rescued his flailing campaign in 2020.

Ms Williamson said: “How can the Democratic Party present itself as a champion of democracy, and do something as undemocratic as overtly engineering the primary schedule to make sure that their chosen candidate would win it? That is spitting in the face of democracy.”

She added: “Apparently, Biden’s going to run on a message that the economy is getting stronger. I think that speaks to the disconnect between the analysis of party elites versus the struggle of everyday Americans.”

She said it was possible to “appreciate what the president has done” by defeating Donald Trump in 2020, and “still feel it is time to move on”.

Ms Williamson is expected to begin campaigning next month.

She said: “I wouldn’t be running for president if I didn’t believe I could contribute to harnessing the collective sensibility that I feel is our greatest hope at this time.”

Mr Biden is expected to announce his re-election campaign in the coming weeks. A recent Associated PRESS-NORC poll showed only 37 per cent of Democrats want him to run again.