Democratic governors praised President Joe Biden after he announced on Sunday that he would step aside from the 2024 presidential race, but not all endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden announced on Sunday that he was ending his presidential campaign. He faced calls from Democrats to withdraw from the race following his shaky performance in the CNN presidential debate against former President Donald Trump last month. Biden appeared to stumble through several answers, doing little to quell concerns about his age.
"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 wrote in a statement.
He followed up the announcement by endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him at the top of the ticket, writing in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that "it's time to come together and beat Trump."
Harris announced on X that she intends to "earn and win" the Democratic nomination and thanked Biden for his endorsem*nt.
Some Democratic Governors Didn't Initially Endorse Harris
Several governors who have been viewed as potential running mates or challengers to Harris did not immediately endorse her.
"President 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. President Biden has gotten an incredible amount done to move our country forward, defend our democracy, and protect real freedom," Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro wrote on X.
"I am proud to work by his side and am grateful for his leadership and his unwavering commitment to delivering for Pennsylvania — the Commonwealth that raised him," he said.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Witmer posted, "President Biden is a great public servant who knows better than anyone what it takes to defeat Donald Trump. His remarkable work to lower prescription drug costs, fix the damn roads, bring supply chains home, address climate change, and ensure America's global leadership over decades will go down in history."
She continued, "My job in this election will remain the same: doing everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump, a convicted felon whose agenda of raising families' costs, banning abortion nationwide, and abusing the power of the White House to settle his own scores is completely wrong for Michigan."
Some Democrats view Shapiro and Whitmer as potential candidates or running mates, pointing to their strong electoral performances in battleground states. Bloomberg reported that Whitmer does not intend to challenge Harris for the nomination.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, also viewed as a potential contender or running mate, issued a statement praising Biden's record while also warning about another Trump presidency.
"As we extend our gratitude to President Biden and reflect on his many accomplishments, we must not ignore the threat posed by Donald Trump's potential return to the White House. Donald Trump is a 34 time convicted felon, adjudicated to have committed sexual assault, a racist, hom*ophobe and misogynist," he wrote.
"Trump brags about taking away a woman's right to choose, wants to rip healthcare away from tens of millions of people, proposes economic policies that will cost the middle class thousands of dollars a year, and threatens the fundamental American ideals we hold dear. I will work every day to ensure that he does not win in November."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul wrote, "Joe Biden is an American hero, a true statesman, and he'll go down in history as one of the greatest champions of working families our nation has ever known."
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email.
Which Democratic Governors Are Supporting Kamala Harris?
Maine Governor Janet Mills became the first Democratic governor to formally endorse Harris.
"I look forward to continuing to work with President Biden for the remainder of his term, and to doing everything I can to elect Vice President Kamala Harris, a friend and former colleague as Attorney General and a fighter for the people, as our next president," she wrote.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont did not formally endorse Harris but noted in his statement, "The president has endorsed Vice President Harris, and I believe she will be the front runner when our convention meets next month."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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