WASHINGTON — Over a dozen congressional Democrats joined the growing number of lawmakers urging President Joe Biden to step aside as the party’s nominee for the 2024 presidential race. This brings the total number of Capitol Hill Democrats advocating for a new nominee to 35.
Among the new detractors are close allies of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a fourth senator. Sen. Sherrod Brown, running for re-election in Ohio, became the latest Senate Democrat to call on Biden to leave the race. He joins Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, and Jon Tester, who faces a challenging re-election in Montana.
In the House, the new calls for Biden to bow out come from key constituencies of support. Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas, the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus to make such a call, joined Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Chuy Garcia of Illinois, and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin. They praised Biden’s public service but stated that it’s time for the 81-year-old president to “pass the torch” to give Democrats the best chance of defeating Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Rep. Garcia is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, whose leaders recently campaigned with Biden. Other Hispanic Caucus members calling for Biden to step aside include Reps. Raul Grijalva of Arizona and Mike Levin of California.
Meanwhile, Pocan, chairman of the Congressional Equality Caucus and a former co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, added his voice to the call for new leadership. Huffman, a close ally of Pelosi representing a Bay Area district, also joined the group.
Another Bay Area ally of Pelosi, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, released a letter urging Biden to withdraw, citing concerns about Trump’s continued threat to constitutional order and the rule of law.
In a joint statement, Veasey, Garcia, Pocan, and Huffman emphasized the need for new leadership due to public concerns about Biden’s age and fitness. They argued that Biden stepping aside would reinvigorate the campaign and boost Democratic enthusiasm.
Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois echoed this sentiment in an op-ed, while Rep. Greg Landsman of Ohio and Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota also urged Biden to withdraw. McCollum endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Biden, with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.
This brings the total number of Democratic detractors to 35 out of 264 House and Senate Democrats, representing over 10% of the caucus. Despite this, Biden has repeatedly stated his intention to stay in the race, emphasizing his mandate from 14 million Democratic primary voters.
Biden’s campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, acknowledged the challenges but affirmed Biden’s commitment to the race. Campaign spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg highlighted the continued support from the majority of the caucus and the party’s unity against Trump.
As the debate continues, the Democratic Party faces significant decisions about its future leadership and strategy for the 2024 election.
