A leading Democrat is prepared to step in and run for his party’s 2024 nomination if President Joe Biden decides against running for a second term, as many political observers anticipate.

Biden raised the specter of only serving a single term in a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday evening.

“Sir, are you committed to running again, or are there certain conditions that have to be right?” interviewer Scott Pelley asked.

“Look, if I were to say to you, I’m running again, all of a sudden, a whole range of things come into play that I have – requirements I have to change and move and do,” Biden responded, noting that election laws are playing into his reply.

“And it’s much too early to make that kind of decision. I’m a great respecter of fate. And so, what I’m doing is I’m doing my job. I’m gonna do that job. And within the time frame that makes sense after this next election cycle here, going into next year, make a judgment on what to do,” he said.

“You say that it’s much too early to make that decision,” Pelley responded. “I take it the decision has not been made in your own head.”

“Look, my intention, as I said, to begin with, is that I would run again. But it’s just an intention,” Biden replied. “But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.”

WATCH:

BREAKING: Joe Biden Refuses to commit to 2024 run on 60 Minutes: “Look, my intention, as I said, to begin with is that I would run again. But it's just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.” pic.twitter.com/W5DhBCQ0i9

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 19, 2022

Should Biden forego another term, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is “undeniably, unequivocally” ready to step into the void, according to persons familiar with his plans in an interview with TheWrap.

“After this midterm election is over, he absolutely is going to announce that he is running for the presidency once Biden announces that he is not running,” a leading California fundraiser with close ties to the Newsom family told the outlet. “No ifs, and, or buts. He will run if Biden does not.”

No word on how Vice President Kamala Harris, a former U.S. senator from California, as well as that state’s attorney general, has responded to the news. But it isn’t likely to sit well, considering that, under normal circumstances, a vice president would be uniquely positioned as the heir apparent to an outgoing president.

That said, even though Harris’ negatives are actually higher than those of Biden, insiders think she will most definitely step up to take on whomever tries to capture her party’s presidential nomination.

In an interview on Fox & Friends this week, former Democratic state Senator Gloria Romero argued that Harris is “using” President Joe Biden as a “meal ticket” to run for president in 2024.

“Let’s face it, Joe Biden is Kamala Harris’ meal ticket to potentially the presidency,” said Romero, the former California Senate majority leader from 2005 to 2008.

“She needs to go ahead and to keep putting out there for the public and especially potential other opponents that Joe Biden is running, because the longer that people can believe that myth, the greater the opportunity is that no other contender like [Gavin] Newsom or [Pete] Buttigieg or even Hillary Clinton might step into the fray,” Romero added.

The situation with the Democratic Party is about to get really interesting.