WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — After a disappointing debate performance, President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he will withdraw from the race for reelection, a decision that came after nuermous calls for him to step aside as the Democratic presidential nominee.
The Biden campaign went into crisis mode following the debate, attempting to shore up support from top Democrats in Congress and Democratic governors. Some, including Vice President Kamala Harris, remained vocal in their support for the president up until Sunday.
Others, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, offered more measured responses but avoided publicly calling on the president to withdraw.
Here are the Democrats who called on the president to end his reelection bid:
Lloyd Doggett
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, issued a statement calling on the president to step aside, the first lawmaker to do so. Dogget, 78, like Biden, has a decadeslong career in government. He praised Biden’s legacy of public service while warning of the dangers of a second term from former President Donald Trump.
“Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw,” Doggett said.
Raul Grijalva
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., called the state of Biden’s campaign “precarious” in an interview with The New York Times, saying that part of Biden’s responsibility is to keep the presidency in Democratic hands and that stepping aside is what’s needed to do so.
At 76, the progressive Democrat is also close to age in Biden and warned that a second Trump presidency would be “very, very dangerous.”
Mike Quigley
Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., said in an interview with MSNBC that Biden needs to step aside to prevent “utter catastrophe.”
Quigley also praised Biden’s legacy of public service and said the country owed him a debt of gratitude.
Seth Moulton
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., said in an interview with WBUR that he did not have confidence in Biden’s ability to defeat Trump, a conclusion he said he reached after speaking extensively with donors.
Moulton compared Biden to George Washington, saying Biden should follow in the footsteps of the nation’s first president and withdraw from the race to “let new leaders rise up.”
Angie Craig
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., thanked Biden for his service on X while saying it was time to let younger leaders take the reins.
“There is simply too much at stake to risk a second Donald Trump presidency,” she said.
Adam Smith
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., said in an interview on CNN that it was time for Biden to withdraw from the race while saying the president has done a “great job.”
“He is not the best person to carry the Democratic message,” Smith, a top member of the Armed Services Committee, said.
Mikie Sherrill
Rep. Mickie Sherrill, D-N.J., called on the president to step down from the race in a statement on X, appealing to Biden’s concern for the country.
“I realize this is hard, but we have done hard things in pursuit of democracy since the founding of this nation,” she said. “And 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.”
Pat Ryan
Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., called on Biden to step aside in an interview with the New York Times. Ryan is one of the party’s most vulnerable incumbents.
Ryan said he believed Biden was no longer able to make the case for defeating Trump and urged him to step aside for “the good of the country.”
“I made (my statement) based on thousands of conversations I’ve had with my constituents,” Ryan told NewsNation on July 11. “It’s a broad sense, certainly among the folks in my district, that, one, we have to stop Donald Trump and be clear-eyed about the threat. Two, Joe Biden, as much as I respect and appreciate him, is not the strongest candidate to (do) that right now.”
Earl Blumenauer
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., is retiring in January after decades of service. In a statement, he said the question facing the country is whether Biden should continue his candidacy.
“This is not just about extending his presidency but protecting democracy,” he said.
Peter Welch
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., was the first Senate Democrat to publicly call on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.
Welch wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that while he has “great respect” for the president, who he called one of the best of his lifetime, it is time for Biden to step aside for the good of the country.
Ed Case
Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, called for Biden to step aside, saying it’s unclear whether Biden can perform “the most difficult job in the world” for another four years.
Case acknowledged that replacing him would be “difficult and uncertain” but he did not believe continuing with Biden would be the “best path forward for our country.”
Jim Himes
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., called for Biden to drop out of the race in a social media post immediately after a news conference Biden help upon the conclusion of a recent NATO summit in Washington.
“He must not risk that legacy, those accomplishments and American democracy to soldier on in the face of the horrors promised by Donald Trump,” Himes said.
Marie Gleusenkamp Perez
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., said in a statement she believed Biden can’t win and should step aside.
“Americans deserve to feel their president is fit enough to do the job. The crisis of confidence in the President’s leadership needs to come to an end. The President should do what he knows is right for the country and put the national interest first,” she said.
Eric Sorensen
Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., joined the growing list of Democrats calling for Biden to step down from the election after Biden’s news conference. He posted a statement to social media saying Biden “is a good man” but ultimately asked Biden to step aside in his campaign for president.
“It is more important than ever that our neighbors have a candidate for president who will communicate a positive vision for every person in this country,” Sorensen said.
Scott Peters
Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., was the third lawmaker to call for Biden to step aside from his campaign following Biden’s news conference.
“Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign. The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course. My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and to democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the president and those around him,” Peters said in a statement.
Greg Stanton
Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., said on X that while he was one of Biden’s earliest supporters, he believes it’s time for the president to step aside.
“The Democratic Party must have a nominee that can effectively make the case against Trump,” he said.
Hillary Scholten
Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., joined the growing list of Democrats asking the president to step down in a statement on X.
“With the challenges facing our country in 2025 and beyond, it is essential that we have the strongest possible candidate,” Scholten said. “Joe Biden has been that leader for so long, but this is not about the past, it’s about the future. It’s time to pass the torch.”
Brittany Pettersen
Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., publicly called for Biden to step aside.
“With deep appreciation and love, @joebiden please pass the torch,” Pettersen posted to X along with a statement.
Mike Levin
Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., issued a statement asking Biden to withdraw, noting he had come to the decision after speaking to constituents. He praised Biden’s leadership but called for a new candidate.
“Making this statement is not easy. I have deep respect for President Biden’s five-plus decades of public service and incredible appreciation for the work we’ve done together these last three and a half years. But I believe the time has come for President Biden to pass the torch,” Levin said.
Brad Schneider
Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., said in a statement he is grateful for Biden’s leadership and service, but the stakes in November are too great for the president to continue running.
“In passing the torch now, President Biden has a chance to live up to this standard and seal his place in history as one of the greatest leaders our nation, and history, has ever known,” Schneider said.
Adam Schiff
Rep. Adam Schiff of California confirmed to NewsNation that he is calling on the president to withdraw from the race in favor of a new nominee. He said the nation is at a crossroads, warning that a second Trump term would “undermine the very foundation of our democracy.”
“While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election,” Schiff said.
Jon Tester
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who is locked in a tight reelection bid, became the second Senate Democrat to call for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.
“Montanans have put their trust in me to do what is right, and it is a responsibility I take seriously. I have worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong,” Tester said in a statement.
“And while I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term.”
Jim Costa
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., who hails from a safe Democratic district, also called on the president to exit the race in his own statement.
“President Biden has been an incredible President who has led this country back to strength after the Pandemic. I am proud of the work we have done to pass monumental legislation that is leading to the first real investments in our communities in decades,” he said.
“But for the good of the country, I think it is time for the President to pass the torch to the next generation to carry on the legacy he started,” he continued. “Democrats need to unite and deliver their strongest team to the American people in this election.”
Jamie Raskin
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., in a four-page letter sent to Biden on July 6, urged him to consider the fate of the country if he stays in the race. Raskin did not explicitly call on the president to withdraw, but said the decision is not just about how he feels.
“The hard questions that have been raised about your mental and physical stamina … are not just medical and scientific questions now. They are also political questions because both political leaders and tens of millions of voting citizens have formed judgments based on the events of the last few weeks,” Raskin said. “The judgment you must make in turn, therefore, is not only a private medical judgment about how you feel but a public political one about how others feel because, in the end, the people will decide the fate of this election and of our democracy itself.”
Sean Casten
Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., called for Biden to pass the torch in the Chicago Tribune.
“To manage an exit with all the dignity and decency that has guided his half-century of public service. To cement his legacy as the President who saved our democracy in 2020 and handed it off to trusted hands in 2024 who could carry his legacy forward,” he said.
Jared Huffman, Marc Veasey, Chuy Garcia and Mark Pocan
In a joint letter, Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Mark Veasey of Texas, Chuy Garcia of Illinois and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin called on Biden to drop out of the race and let someone else be the nominee.
“We must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign,” they said.
Martin Heinrich
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., became the third Democratic senator to say it is time for Biden to drop out for the good of the country after praising his legacy.
“However, this moment in our nation’s history calls for a focus that is bigger than any one person,” he said on X.
Greg Landsman
Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, called on Biden to step down on X.
“It is time for President Biden to step aside and allow us to nominate a new leader who can reliably and consistently make the case against Donald Trump and make the case for the future of America,” he said.
Zoe Lofgren
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Ca., a close ally of Pelosi, said in a letter it’s time for Biden to let someone else take the reins.
“Simply put, your candidacy is on a trajectory to lose the White House and potentially impact crucial House and Senate races down ballot. It is for these reasons that I urge you to step aside from our party’s nomination to allow another Democratic candidate to compete against and beat Donald Trump in the November election,” she said.
Kathy Castor
Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., said she prefers to have Harris at the top of the ticket, reported NewsNation affiliate WFLA.
“I think it’s an exciting time to possibly pass the torch,” Castor said.
Betty McCollum
Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., joined the growing group of representatives asking Biden to withdraw.
“To give Democrats a strong, viable path to winning the White House, I am calling upon President Biden to release his delegates and allow Vice President Harris to step forward,” she said.
Morgan McGarvey
Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., said on X that Biden should back out of the race.
“There is no joy in the recognition he should not be our nominee in November,” McGarvey said of Biden. “But the stakes of this election are too high and we can’t risk the focus being on anything other than Donald Trump, his MAGA extremists, and the mega-wealthy dark-money donors who are prepared to destroy our path toward a more perfect union with Trump’s Project 2025.”
Gabe Vasquez
In a statement posted on his X account, Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., called Biden “an honorable public servant who has dedicated his career to bettering the lives of all Americans.
“However, I believe too many of our fundamental freedoms and the wellbeing of our nation are at risk under a Trump presidency and President Biden should step aside to give Democrats the best opportunity to win this November.”
Sherrod Brown
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said on X that he agrees with constituents who are concerned about issues like job growth, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and stopping a nationwide abortion ban.
“At this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues. I think the President should end his campaign.”
The Hill and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
