‘Freak out or you can get to work’: NC Democratic Party leader on Biden candidacy concerns

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The head of the North Carolina Democratic Party said she’s “fully behind” President Joe Biden leading the ticket, as some in the party call on him to exit the race.

“What we need to do and what I’ve told people is that you can either freak out or you can get to work,” said Anderson Clayton, chair of the state Democratic Party. “And, I think we’ve seen Joe Biden bounce back from that debate performance, especially in the rally that he did.”

Clayton was referring to Biden’s rally in Raleigh the day after his debate against former President Donald Trump, which led some Democrats to publicly ask Biden to step aside.

President Biden has reiterated he is staying in the race, including in a letter this week to Democrats in Congress.

“And, we are excited this year to be mobilizing every person possible to flip North Carolina blue at the presidential level,” said Clayton.

North Carolina is among seven battleground states that are expected to determine the outcome of the election. A poll released over the weekend by Bloomberg and Morning Consult showed former President Donald Trump leading President Biden 46-43, which is within the poll’s margin of error.

“Let’s be real. This is North Carolina. I’ve seen the polls. Donald Trump’s going to win North Carolina,” said state House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland), who is running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives this year.

Matt Mercer, a spokesman for the state Republican Party, said, “June 27, 2024 will go down as one of the most important days in American history because it showed the world what Democrats have been trying to hide for the past three and a half years: Joe Biden is weak, failed, and dishonest, and the American people are now running to President Trump and Republicans because he will make America great again.”’

Jen O’Malley Dillon, chair of the Biden-Harris campaign, released a memo Thursday, trying to outline a path ahead.

“Our internal data and public polling show the same thing: This remains a margin-of-error race in key battleground states,” she writes.

Biden’s campaign has remained active in North Carolina and other battleground states this week. First Lady Jill Biden visited Wilmington Monday, saying she and her husband are “all in” on his re-election effort.

Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Greensboro on Thursday, where Gov. Roy Cooper (D) joined her.

The New York Times reported this week that aides to the campaign team have focused on three potential running mates for Harris if President Biden does drop out and Harris becomes the new nominee. Those names include Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Gov. Cooper. The report notes Cooper is at the top of the list.

“I know tensions are high right now but we must and we will come together,” Gov. Cooper told the crowd at Thursday’s rally.

The governor continued to show his public support of President Biden Thursday, crediting him with making funding available to help convince Republican leaders in North Carolina to expand Medicaid coverage.

“The Democratic Party in California may not know who he is, but I think they’ll know soon enough. And, I think he’s not going to have the kind of negatives of Gavin Newsom,” said Chris Cooper, an expert on state politics at Western Carolina University. “I think Roy Cooper is a much more benign choice in some way and a safer choice.”

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