Third Democratic Senator Calls For Biden to ‘Step Aside’

Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) became the third Senate Democrat Friday to publicly urge President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.

Heinrich, who is up for reelection, praised Biden as “one of the most accomplished presidents in modern history,” but emphasized that the current political climate demands a shift in leadership.

He wrote: “This moment in our nation’s history calls for a focus that is bigger than any one person. 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… 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.”

The statement comes the same day that four House Democratic lawmakers released a joint statement calling for Biden to step aside as pressure grows within the party.

Democratic Reps. Jared Huffman (D-CA), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), and Mark Pocan (D-WI) also declared their “great admiration” for the president but said it was time for him to “pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders.”

While other senators have remained private in their opinions on whether Biden should withdraw from the race, Heinrich joins Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) in going public.

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