'The mission continues': Stockton, San Joaquin County leaders react to Biden dropping out of race

President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he has ended his bid for reelection in November.

The decision came amid pressure from Democratic leaders who urged Biden to consider dropping out after an unpopular debate performance, which drew concerns about his mental acuity, and an assassination attempt on the life of his opponent, former President Donald Trump.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president," Biden said in a letter addressed to Americans. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on my duties as president for the remainder of my term."

Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's nominee in a separate statement following the announcement on X. Harris responded that she's honored to have Biden's endorsement, and her "intention is to earn and win this nomination."

Gov. Gavin Newsom voiced his support for Harris to lead the Democratic ticket, calling her "tough," "fearless," and "tenacious" in a statement on X.

"With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump's dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America's vice president," Newsom said.

Biden is expected to speak to the nation later this week to provide more details about his decision. In the meantime, political leaders in Stockton and San Joaquin County shared their reaction to the news.

What San Joaquin County officials have to say

Bishop Dwight Earl Williams, chairman of the San Joaquin County Republican Central Committee, said he and other members of the committee were "not surprised" to hear Biden was stepping down.

He added that the Republican Party in San Joaquin County is "in strong and complete support of the Trump-Vance ticket."

"We feel that President Trump is in an incredibly strong position. We think that the basic dynamics of the election has not changed. If anything, the election will be more policy-focused instead of personality-focused. When you compare the policies that President Trump is going to annunciate versus what Kamala Harris will annunciate, President Trump will have a significant victory in November," Williams said.

Come Election Day, the chairman said the main question voters will be asking themselves is: "Were you better off four years ago than you are today?"

"Most people would say they were definitely better off four years ago under President Trump than they are currently today," he said.

Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln, a Republican who is running for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 9th Congressional District, questioned Biden's ability to lead America in the remaining months of his four-year term.

"If President Biden is not healthy enough to run for office, how can he be healthy enough to run the country? This is a far more taxing and challenging job," Lincoln said. "This cannot be a coronation. If it is, it overturns the will of 14 million Democrat voters who elected Biden as their nominee and highlights a desperate attempt to cover up the fact that Joe Biden was unfit to run for office."

Others expressed their appreciation for the president and the work he's done since taking office in 2021.

Stockton City Councilmember Dan Wright, who represents District 2, posted a "thank you" message to Biden on Facebook.

"Though he has announced he won't be seeking reelection, in his three-plus years as president, he has accomplished more than many two-term presidents. He led us out of the COVID crisis, has overseen the largest nationwide infrastructure investment since the 1950s, and has faced down the expansionist leaders of Russia and China on the international stage," Wright stated. "I truly believe history will judge his administration quite favorably."

In a statement, Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman, D-Stockton, said "President Biden is an American patriot who has served the American people ably for decades."

"His decision to pass the baton to a new generation is not an easy one but — once again — Joe Biden has put his country above himself," Eggman said. "Vice President Harris is an accomplished leader who has the breadth of experience, decency and strength to carry on the work she and President Biden have done over the last four years, including defending our democracy, making sure our economy works for all Americans — not just the wealthy few — and honoring the historic international alliances that have helped protect our country and provide greater stability in an uncertain world."

The San Joaquin County Democratic Central Committee emailed a statement to The Record regarding Biden's decision to not seek a second term in the White House.

"San Joaquin Democrats are thankful for the job Joe Biden has done as president and will continue to do until next January. We look forward to marching into November as a united front to fight for Democratic values, and ensure Donald Trump and his MAGA party is defeated," the committee said. "The mission continues. Let's organize!"

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow .

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: 'The mission continues': Stockton, San Joaquin County leaders react to Biden dropping out of race