After weeks of speculation and reported angst within the Democratic Party, President Joe Biden announced yesterday (Sunday) that he will no longer seek a second term, instead endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his party’s nominee.
Reps. Gerry Connolly and Don Beyer, who represent parts of Fairfax County in the House, and Virginia senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner quickly expressed support for Biden’s “difficult decision” and joined him in backing Harris.
All Democrats, the congressmen recognized Biden’s long political career while framing his withdrawal from the presidential race as a patriotic decision that prioritized the country’s future over his own.
“President Joe Biden, a man I revere, has today made a deeply difficult decision the only way he knows how — with the American people at heart. We owe him a debt of gratitude,” Connolly said in a statement that praised Biden’s commitment to NATO and highlighted his work with the president on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Seeking a ninth term representing the Virginia’s 11th Congressional District after winning a June 18 primary, Connolly contrasted Biden’s presidency with the “darkness of his predecessor’s time in office” and argued that Harris is the Democrats’ best bet for beating former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“I’m proud to support @kamalaharris as the next President of the United States,” he said in a separate tweet. “She’s worked hand in hand with @joebiden to deliver historic results for the American people. She’s the perfect candidate to contrast with convicted felon Donald Trump.”
I’m proud to support @kamalaharris as the next President of the United States. She’s worked hand in hand with @joebiden to deliver historic results for the American people. She’s the perfect candidate to contrast with convicted felon Donald Trump.
— Gerry Connolly (@ElectConnolly) July 21, 2024
Kaine, who’s running for a third term in the Senate, compared Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign to moves by George Washington and Teddy Roosevelt, who opted against seeking third terms, though for Roosevelt, it would’ve been his second full term. The 22nd Amendment explicitly limiting presidents to two terms wasn’t ratified until 1951.
“I am laser-focused on building on the historic accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration, by continuing to lower costs for Virginians, protecting our democracy at home and abroad, and safeguarding Americans’ reproductive freedoms,” Kaine said. “I’m looking forward to working with my friend @KamalaHarris and a great ticket mate to keep Virginia blue so that we can continue to build on our progress.”
As I have been saying for weeks, President @JoeBiden is a patriotic American who has always put the needs of our country ahead of himself. For more than five decades, he has served this country admirably as a Senator, Vice President, and now President. His decision today reflects…
— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) July 21, 2024
Warner, who chairs the Senate’s intelligence committee, reportedly began suggesting to other Democratic senators that Biden should drop out of the presidential race in early July after a rambling debate with Trump. Though he never publicly called for Biden to step aside, he released a statement on July 8 saying that the president needed to “more aggressively make his case to the American people.”
After yesterday’s announcement, Warner lauded Biden for charting “a bright path forward for our nation after four tumultuous years under the former administration,” stating that he looks forward to the president’s expected national address later this week.
“While there has to be an orderly process and the decision ultimately rests in the hands of the DNC delegates, I believe Vice President Harris has the experience, energy, and resolve to lead our nation,” he said. “This November, we must defeat Donald Trump and his backwards agenda.”
This nation owes Joe Biden a debt of gratitude for putting everything on hold to run in 2020 and taking the reins as President during a particularly turbulent time. He charted a bright path forward for our nation after four tumultuous years under the former administration.…
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) July 21, 2024
The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 17-22.
Beyer similarly said he will support Harris during the nomination process, contrasting the Democratic Party’s recent debates over their preferred presidential candidate with the “cult of personality” that surrounds Trump.
“The past few weeks have been very difficult, but I am proud to be a member of a party that tolerates dissent,” Beyer said. “We are not a cult of personality where any disagreement results in threats or purges. Democrats are not afraid to allow hard conversations and tough choices, and we are stronger for it.”
With no real challengers on the ballot, Biden easily won Virginia’s Democratic presidential primary in March, receiving more than 86.6% of the votes cast in Fairfax County. Though Trump handily won his party’s primary statewide, Fairfax County Republicans threw their support behind former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.
Photo via René DeAnda on Unsplash
