Overview:
President Biden announces he will not seek re-election, endorses Kamala Harris as Democratic nominee.
In a stunning turn of events Sunday afternoon, President Joe Biden announced that he will not seek re-election, and soon after endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee for the 2024 general election. This decision comes after a growing number of Democratic Party members voiced concerns that Biden’s candidacy was jeopardizing their chances of keeping the twice-impeached former President Donald Trump out of the White House.
President Biden, who faced intense scrutiny following a disastrous debate performance last month, made the announcement in a letter posted on his X, formerly known as Twitter, account.
“And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, 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,” he wrote.
After his initial announcement, Biden backed Harris in a supportive declaration.
”Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” he wrote.
Biden assured the nation that he would continue to serve with dedication until the end of his current term. He also indicated that he would provide further details about his decision in a forthcoming address to the nation later this week.
This announcement has already sent shockwaves through the political landscape, setting the stage for a highly contentious primary season as the Democratic Party scrambles to find a new standard-bearer. Immediately, Washington State Democratic Chair Shasti Conrad has called on the party to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris.
“President Biden has led our nation with courage and historic success. He is a true patriot who ensured the Democratic Party denied Donald Trump a second term and has accomplished more in one term than many presidents have accomplished in two. He kept his promises to create good-paying jobs, guide our nation out of the pandemic, and implemented the largest effort to combat climate change in our nation’s history. He has been an incredible ally supporting our first Black president and choosing to partner with our first Black and Asian woman vice president. He also promised to be a transitional leader to the generations that will come after. I support his decision to make good on that promise,” Conrad said.
The Washington State Democratic Chair then issued a call-to-action for Democratic delegates.
“Today, I call on his delegates to support Vice President Kamala Harris to lead our Party and our country. As the leader and steward of the Washington State Democratic Party, I have listened to the overwhelming consensus of Democrats in Washington state who are excited to support Vice President Harris as our standard bearer,” she said.
Conrad, who is the first South Asian woman to lead a Democratic Party organization, highlighted Harris’ accomplishments as vice president and beyond.
“Vice President Kamala Harris has spent the last four years championing and pushing President Biden’s successful agenda. She knows this work is heart-led work and her effective advancement of the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities position her as the only viable alternative to President Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket. Her lived experience as a Black and Asian American woman has inspired millions of people, myself included, to see ourselves occupying the highest positions of power and leadership. We are a big-tent party and Vice President Harris is the only national figure capable of unifying the full diversity of our Party to lead us to victory in November,” Conrad continued.
She acknowledged how hard it must have been for Biden to make the decision, while also noting the importance of moving Harris forward.
“President Biden put the interests of the nation and our party above any other concern and threw his full support behind Vice President Harris to lead us to victory in November. This is a heart-wrenching decision and I hold the deepest respect and admiration for President Biden. Given the existential threat to our democracy and the soul of our nation posed by the Trump-Vance ticket’s xenophobic and hateful Project 2025, the Democratic Party must put forward the best candidate for victory in November. That candidate is Vice President Kamala Harris,” Conrad said.
As political and party leaders reacted to the president’s announcement, local faith and community leaders also weighed in, noting the decision was another sign of Biden’s strong governance.
“Withdrawing from the race is another form of President Biden’s leadership in the race to defeat Trump,” the Rev. Tony Lee, pastor of Community Hope AME Church told The Informer. “Now is the time for the Democratic Party to rally behind Vice President Harris as she finishes the leg and gets us across the finish line in November.”
The Rev. Jamal Bryant, pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta explained how the African American community will support Harris to victory.
”The Black community will be unified behind Kamala Harris and we have been the most consistent voting bloc in American history,” Bryant told The Informer.