An increasing number of Democrats in Congress are urging President Joe Biden to abandon his reelection campaign following the 81-year-old incumbent's faltering debate performance against Republican opponent Donald Trump. Despite varying opinions among lawmakers—some uneasy about Biden's continued candidacy and others firmly supportive—a number of representatives have openly and explicitly urged Biden to refrain from running again.
Senator Peter Welch penned an opinion piece in the Washington Post stating, "For the good of the country, I'm calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race." Welch was the first Democratic US senator to advocate for Biden to step down as a candidate.
Representative Pat Ryan, who flipped a Republican-held New York district in 2019, posted on social media, "Joe Biden is a patriot but is no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump. For the good of our country, I am asking Joe Biden to step aside—to deliver on his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders."
Representative Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey issued a statement saying, "Because I know President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country, I am asking that he declare that he won’t run for reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee."
Representative Adam Smith expressed in a statement, "President Biden should end his candidacy for a second term as President and release his delegates to the Democratic National Convention to enable the party to nominate a new candidate for President. The President’s performance in the debate was alarming to watch and the American people have made it clear they no longer see him as a credible candidate to serve four more years as President. Since the debate, the president has not seriously addressed these concerns. This is unacceptable. The stakes are simply too high."
Representative Lloyd Doggett commented, "President Biden has continued to run substantially behind Democratic senators in key states and in most polls has trailed Donald Trump. I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum to change that. It did not," said Doggett, a House member from a safe Democratic district in Texas. He was the first congressional Democrat to call for Biden to step down.
Representative Raul Grijalva, a liberal representing a district in southern Arizona along the border with Mexico, told The New York Times it was time for Biden to end his campaign, stating, "If he's the candidate, I'm going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere." Grijalva representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
Representative Seth Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts, commended Biden's service to the country but suggested on a local radio show that the president should emulate "George Washington's footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump".
Representative Mike Quigley, a moderate from Illinois, argued that Biden must step aside and "let someone else do this" or risk "utter catastrophe".
Representative Angie Craig, whose Minnesota district is a top Republican target for November, was the first incumbent from a highly competitive district to urge Biden to step down. "Given what I saw and heard from the president during last week's debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the president himself following that debate, I do not believe that the president can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump," Craig said.
Representative Earl Blumenauer stated, "The question before the country is whether the president should continue his candidacy for re-election. This is not just about extending his presidency but protecting democracy." He added, "While this is a decision for the president and the first lady, I hope they will come to the conclusion that I and others have: President Biden should not be the Democratic presidential nominee."
