President Joe Biden is facing calls to end his reelection bid from a growing number of prominent Democrats after his debate performance raised serious questions about the 81-year-old’s mental fitness.
The president and his campaign remain defiant and are pressing ahead, but an avalanche of calls to step aside and let someone such as Vice President Kamala Harris be the Democratic nominee could change that calculus.
Here are the Democrats who have so far said publicly Biden should bow out of the race against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA)
Takano, who serves as ranking member on the House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs, praised Biden’s record in his statement asking the president to “pass the torch” to Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Perhaps no President in my lifetime has accomplished more in a single term or been as decent as human being as Joe Biden,” the statement began. He praised the president’s CHIPS act, the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act.
“It has become clear to me that the demands on a modern campaign are now best met by Vice President Kamala Harris,” he said.
“Joe, I love and respect you. But the stakes are too high to fail. It’s time to pass the torch to Kamala Harris.”
Reps. Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Kathy Castor (D-FL)
McCollum and Castor, called on President Joe Biden to step aside and, in similar language, pass the torch to Harris.
McCollum endorsed Harris as Biden’s successor and encouraged Democrats to select Gov. Tim Waltz (D-MN) as her running mate.
“Winning in November and defeating [former President Donald] Trump’s dangerous, hate-filled agenda must be Democrats’ sole focus,” McCollum said in a statement via the Star Tribune. “To give Democrats a strong, viable path to winning the White House, I am calling upon President Biden to release his delegates and empower Vice President Harris to step forward to become the Democratic nominee for president.”
Castor said it is an “exciting time to possibly pass the torch,” and also noted that Harris would be a good pick for the party as the new nominee.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
The close ally to Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the former speaker, became the 30th sitting Democrat on July 19.
“Simply put, your candidacy is on a trajectory to lose the White House and potentially impact crucial House and Senate races down ballot,” Lofgren wrote in a letter to Biden. “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.”
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH)
Landsman became the 29th Democrat on July 19.
“After weeks of consideration and hundreds of conversations with constituents, I have come to the conclusion that Joe Biden is no longer the best person to make that case,” he said in a statement.
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Heinrich, up for reelection but in a safe seat, on July 19 became the latest Democrat to urge Biden to “pass the torch” to another candidate. He marked the third Senate Democrat and the 28th sitting Democrat overall to take such a stance.
“While the decision to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is in the best interests of our country for him to step aside,” Heinrich said in a statement. “By passing the torch, he would secure his legacy as one of our nation’s greatest leaders and allow us to unite behind a candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump and safeguard the future of our democracy.”
Reps. Jared Huffman (D-CA), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), and Mark Pocan (D-WI)
In a joint statement on July 19, the quartet said “widespread public concerns” about Biden’s ability to beat Trump “may not be fair” but have nonetheless “hardened” in the past weeks of fallout. Veasey is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, where Biden has retained broad support — until now. Pocan is chair emeritus of the Progressive Caucus.
The four members became the 24th, 25th, 26th, and 27th current Congress members to call for Biden’s withdrawal.
“We believe the most responsible and patriotic thing you can do in this moment is to step aside as our nominee while continuing to lead our party from the White House,” the lawmakers said.
Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL)
Casten was the 23rd sitting Democrat to say Biden should leave the race.
“It is with a heavy heart and much personal reflection that I am therefore calling on Joe Biden to pass the torch to a new generation,” he wrote in a Chicago Tribune op-ed. “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.”
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)
Tester, up for reelection, is one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats this election cycle and represents a state Trump carried by double digits. He became the second Democrat in the Senate and the 22nd Democrat in Congress to do so.
“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 July 18. “And while I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term.”
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA)
A Senate candidate for the seat held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Schiff on July 17 said that “while the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch.”
A high-profile Democrat who was an impeachment manager against Trump, Schiff is a former chair of the House Intelligence Committee.
Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA)
Levin said in a July 12 statement: “The time has come for President Biden to pass the torch.”
“Making this statement is not easy,” he continued. “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.”
Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO)
Pettersen urged Biden to “pass the torch” in a statement issued July 12, the day after Biden’s NATO press conference.
“Joe Biden saved our country once, and I’m joining the growing number of people in my district and across the country to ask him to do it again,” Pettersen wrote. “Please pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders, so we have the best chance to defeat Donald Trump, who is the greatest threat to the foundation of this country that we have ever faced.”
Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL)
Sorenson, a front-line Democrat, said July 11 he is “hopeful” that Biden will step aside and put county over party “again.”
“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. Someone who can demonstrate the strength and wisdom needed to lead us through the worst storms,” Sorenson said in a statement on X after Biden’s press conference at the NATO summit in Washington, D.C.
Sorenson was the 17th Democratic lawmaker to ask Biden to suspend his bid for the Democratic Party’s nomination.
Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA)
Peters called on Biden to withdraw July 11 shortly after the president wrapped up an almost hourlong Q&A session with reporters.
“Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign,” Peters wrote in a statement obtained by Politico. “The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course.”
Peters is the 16th Democratic lawmaker to call on Biden to suspend his reelection campaign.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT)
Himes called on Biden to exit the race just minutes after the president concluded his press conference at the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., on July 11.
Himes became the 15th sitting Democratic lawmaker to call on Biden to withdraw ahead of the convention in August.
“Joe Biden’s record of public service is unrivaled. His accomplishments are immense. His legacy as a great president is secure,” Himes wrote on X. “He must not risk that legacy, those accomplishments, and American democracy to soldier on in the face of the horrors promised by Donald Trump.”
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA)
Perez is a co-chair of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition and one of few Democrats representing a district Trump won in 2020.
On July 11, she said in a statement: “I doubt the president’s judgment about his health, his fitness to do the job, and whether he is the one making important decisions about our country.”
She added: “Americans deserve to feel their president is fit enough to do the job … The president should do what he knows is right for the country.”
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ)
Ahead of a press conference from Biden on July 11, Stanton issued a statement calling on Biden to step aside because the “Democratic Party must have a nominee who can effectively make the case against Trump, and have the confidence of the American people to handle the rigors of the hardest job on the planet for the next four years.”
Stanton continued, “For the sake of American democracy, and to continue to make progress on our shared priorities, I believe it is time for the President to step aside as our nominee.”
Rep. Ed Case (D-HI)
Case joined the chorus of Democrats calling on Biden to step aside July 11, telling Punchbowl News his “guidepost is what is the best way forward for our country” and that he does not “believe President Biden should continue his candidacy for re-election as President.”
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL)
Schneider, vice chairman of the New Democrat Coalition, called on Biden to suspend his reelection campaign and allow the party to select a new nominee.
“I love President Biden. I am forever grateful for his leadership and service to our nation,” Schneider said in a statement July 11. “The time has come, however, for President Biden to heroically pass the torch to a new generation of leadership to guide us to the future he has enabled and empowered us to pursue.”
The New Democrat Coalition, the largest Democratic caucus in the House, is made up of 100 House Democrats, and Schneider speaks frequently with the most vulnerable members of the party.
Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI)
Scholten, a vulnerable Democrat, joined nine of her colleagues to call on Biden to withdraw from the race as the Democratic presidential nominee.
“For the good of our Democracy, I believe it is time for him to step aside from the presidential race and allow a new leader to step up,” Scholten said in a statement posted July 11 on X.
Scholten is a part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s 2024 Frontline Program, which seeks to help vulnerable Democrats keep their seats.
Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT)
Welch was the first Democratic senator to call on Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee on July 10.
The Vermont senator, in an op-ed in the Washington Post, asked Biden to step aside after “the national conversation is focused on Biden’s age and capacity.”
“I, like folks across the country, am worried about November’s election,” Welch writes. “The stakes could not be higher. We cannot unsee President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. We cannot ignore or dismiss the valid questions raised since that night.”
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
Blumenauer was the ninth House Democrat as of July 10 to say Biden should exit the race.
“While this is a decision for the president and the first lady, I hope they will come to the conclusion that I and others have: President Biden should not be the Democratic presidential nominee,” he said in a statement. “It is a painful and difficult conclusion, but there is no question in my mind that we will all be better served if the president steps aside as the Democratic nominee and manages a transition under his terms.”
Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY)
Ryan, the only vulnerable Democrat in New York, was the eighth House Democrat to call on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race on July 10.
Ryan posted on X that Biden is “no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump.”
Ryan asserted that for the good of the country, Biden should step aside and “deliver on his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders.”
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)
On July 9, Sherrill called on Biden to drop his 2024 reelection campaign and was the first to do so after a closed-door caucus meeting aimed at discussing concerns about Biden’s place on top of the Democratic ticket.
Sherrill argued Biden needs to step aside because the stakes to defeat Trump are “too high.”
“I know that President Biden and his team have been true public servants and have put the country and the best interests of democracy first and foremost in their considerations,” Sherrill said in a statement. “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.”
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA)
Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, on July 8 said Biden should go and that his debate performance was “alarming to watch.”
“The American people have made it clear they no longer see him as a credible candidate to serve four more years as president,” Smith said on Monday.
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)
Quigley called on Biden to exit the race on July 5.
“Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude,” Quigley told MSNBC. “The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this.”
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN)
Craig on July 6 called for Biden’s withdrawal and was the first to do so from a battleground district.
“Given what I saw and heard from the president during last week’s debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the president himself following that debate, I do not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump,” Craig said in a statement. “That’s why I respectfully call on President Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee for a second term as president and allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward.”
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Moulton became the third sitting House Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw July 4, arguing the president should step aside to allow someone else to run against Trump.
“President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our Founding Father George Washington’s footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Trump,” Moulton told Boston-area radio station WBUR on Thursday.
Just the day before, Moulton said his party should consider “all viable options” to replace Biden at the top of the ticket.
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
The ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, Grijalva on July 3 became the second sitting member of Congress to call for Biden to drop out.
“If he’s the candidate, I’m going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere,” he told The New York Times. “What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
On July 2, Doggett became the first sitting member of Congress to say Biden should withdraw from the race. The longtime House Democrat praised the president but said he “failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump’s many lies.”
“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 in a statement. “I respectfully call on him to do so.”
Former Rep. Tim Ryan
Ryan, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, wrote in a July 2 op-ed that Harris should replace Biden as the party’s nominee after a “deeply troubling” debate performance.
“It isn’t just about a 90-minute debate and a terrible performance,” Ryan wrote. “This election needs to be about generational change — something about which I have been shouting for more than a year now.”
New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado
Delgado, who is also a former House Democrat, called for Biden to suspend his candidacy as the Democratic nominee on July 10.
Delgado praised Biden’s record in a post to X but said he joins “millions of Americans” who are expressing concerns about Biden’s ability to run a successful campaign against Trump.
“He can add to his legacy, showing his strength and grace, by ending his campaign and making room for a new leader,” Delgado said.
“I believe we should move forward with a nominee capable of re-invigorating and re-energizing Americans who are determined to protect our democracy, and who want to do so with a candidate they believe can win,” Delgado continued.
Obama HUD Secretary Julian Castro
Castro, who was also a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and has been critical of Biden in the past, said it was time for someone else to take the reins.
“I believe that there are stronger options out there for Democrats,” Castro said July 2 on MSNBC. “We have a stable of folks who could do a better job, including Vice President [Kamala] Harris. It’s too risky to let Donald Trump walk into this in November.”
Colorado congressional candidate Adam Frisch
Frisch, who nearly unseated Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) in 2022 and is running for the open seat in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, on July 2 called on Biden to withdraw from the race.
“It has been clear to me for some time, and the debate only reinforced it — neither candidate should be running for president,” Frisch said in a video statement. “We deserve better. President Biden should do what’s best for the country and withdraw from the race. I thank President Biden for his years of service, but the path ahead requires a new generation of leadership to take our country forward.”
Presidential candidate Marianne Williamson
Williamson said July 2 that Biden should be replaced.
“President Biden deserves our respect, our compassion, and our gratitude,” Williamson said in a video statement. “The debate last week, however, made clear that the time is now for another Democratic candidate to take his place on the November ballot.
“Today, I throw my hat in the ring,” she added.
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Former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang
Yang, who left the Democratic Party in 2021 to become an independent, endorsed Biden’s Democratic primary challenger this cycle, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN). Yang was among the first prominent voices after Biden’s debate to say he should drop out on June 27.
“Guys, the Dems should nominate someone else – before it’s too late,” Yang posted on X. “#swapJoeout”
Rachel Schilke, Samantha-Jo Roth, and Christian Datoc contributed to this report.
