First Democratic mayor in California calls for Biden to end campaign, following Schiff

The mayor of Pasadena called on President Joe Biden to end his campaign on Wednesday, becoming the first Democratic mayor in deep-blue California to reject the party’s national standard-bearer amid concerns about Biden’s age.

It follows Rep. Adam Schiff from Los Angeles, who hours earlier called on Biden to “pass the torch” — the first elected Democrat to urge the president to step aside since Saturday’s assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

“It's clear that the American people want another candidate at the top of the Democratic ticket,” Mayor Victor Gordo said in a statement exclusively shared with POLITICO. “Now, the American people want, and need, real change. I hope the President will meet this moment and heed this call.”

Gordo, who has led the prominent Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena since 2020, said he decided to speak out because it appears Trump will beat Biden in November. He argued that poses a threat to democracy, adding, “what makes America, America is literally what's at stake.”

The mayor’s statement comes as other Democratic city leaders have been reluctant to criticize the president amid his public stumbles and disastrous debate performance against Trump. Last week, Biden held a Zoom call with nearly 200 mayors in an attempt to shore up support, several of whom were quick to praise him afterward . Gordo did not attend that meeting, however.

Gordo also praised Biden’s legislative record and financial support for cities in his statement. He said he reached the conclusion that Biden shouldn’t be the party’s nominee with a “heavy heart.”

The Pasadena mayor also works as a labor leader in the Los Angeles area, as an executive board member of LiUNA local 777, which represents 10,000 workers including garbage drivers, custodians, courtroom assistants and many other public employees.

Gordo’s call for Biden to drop out comes after several Democratic House members from California, most prominently Schiff, have called for the party to pick a new nominee. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also entertained doubts about Biden’s viability as the nominee.

However, prominent mayors across the state, including Los Angeles’ Karen Bass and San Francisco’s London Breed, have been supportive of Biden in their comments.