Local leaders weigh in on Biden dropping out of 2024 presidential race
Associated Press
President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic party’s nominee.
The news comes as calls from the president’s own party for him to drop out continued in recent days following a disastrous June 27 presidential debate with Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump.
In a statement to the American people from his home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., Biden said, “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
Biden’s historic withdrawal triggered immediate reaction from local and state officials.
Christina Proctor, who leads the Washington County Democratic Committee, said, “Joe Biden accomplished an extraordinary amount for the American people as President, including rebuilding our infrastructure and economy, not to mention his decades serving as Senator and Vice President. Today, he again put the interests of Americans above his own — something Donald Trump would never have the courage to do. President Biden deserves our appreciation for all that he has accomplished.”
Proctor said Harris, who has served as a district attorney, attorney general and senator before she became vice president, has the experience to serve as president and voiced support for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as vice president.
Shapiro, who is widely considered to be a vice-presidential candidate, said in a Facebook statement that he will do “everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th President of the United States.”
Shapiro said Biden is “a patriot who has served our country honorably in the Senate, as Vice President, and as one of the most consequential presidents in modern history” and “has gotten an incredible amount done to move our country forward, defend our democracy, and protect real freedom.”
In a Facebook Post, Sean Logue, the chairman of the Washington County Republican Party, said it comes as no surprise that President Biden withdrew from the election and said it doesn’t matter that Harris has Biden’s endorsement.
“At the end of the day, the current regime surrendered our economy to globalist interests and opened our borders to hell on earth,” Logue said. “The only thing that bothers WCRP, however, is that every Democrat on the state-wide ballot, especially Bob Casey, both endorsed Biden and told us he was fit for office; the latter was a lie. We now call on all of Washington County to unite behind President Trump and put an end to chaos and defeat.”
Biden endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee.
His decision comes 15 weeks before the 2024 election, and as Trump, who survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler County last week, is leading in polls.
Allegheny County Republican Chairman Sam Demarco issued a statement on Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race, saying it is “unlikely to offer the reset the party seeks.
“The presidential race will now be a contest between a defender of democracy overwhelmingly chosen by Republican party members versus whomever the Democratic party bosses select.”