By Maria Ortiz
18 Jul 2024, 22:37 PM EDT
Montana Senator Jon Tester, A vulnerable Democrat seeking re-election in the 2024 election in a red state has called on President Joe Biden to end his bid for a second term.
“I have worked with President Biden when Montana has been strong, and I have never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong,” Tester told the local newspaper Daily Montanan on Thursday. “And while I appreciate his commitment to public service and to our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election for another term.”
Tester’s comments echo those of Vermont Democratic Senator Peter Welch, who called on him to “withdraw from the race” for the presidency last Wednesday in an opinion piece for The Washington Post, in light of his “disastrous” debate against former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump in late June.
With Tester, there are now 24 Democratic legislators, including 22 representatives and two senators, those who have publicly called for the president to drop out of the election race and hand over the baton to another candidate.
Amid mounting pressure from Democratic leaders in recent hours for Biden to reevaluate his candidacy, expectations have also grown that the crisis will be resolved in the coming hours or days, as indicated by a report from The Hill published on Thursday.
According to the paper, which cites well-connected people in the Democratic Party, Biden could make a major announcement about his future “after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention,” which is entering its third and final day, punctuated by a speech by Trump tonight.
Aside from that, The Hill sources indicate that Vice President Kamala Harris could become the presidential nominee if Biden withdrawsand among senior Democratic strategists and donors the question now is who might be Harris’ “number two.”
Democrats continue to struggle not only with Biden’s re-election bid, but also how this can harm the party in the elections.
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