Tennessee officials react after Biden drops out, endorses Harris

President Biden announced Sunday that he is stepping aside as the presumptive Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential contest and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party's nominee.

Why it matters: The eleventh-hour change introduces a seismic and historic shift in the 2024 presidential race less than a month before the Democratic National Convention, set to start Aug. 19.

• "It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," Biden wrote in the letter posted on his X account announcing his decision.
• "And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."

Driving the news: Minutes after announcing he was stepping aside as the party's nominee, Biden said in a separate tweet that Harris has his "full support and endorsement" to be the Democratic presidential nominee.

The latest: Soon after Biden's announcement, Tennessee's delegates to the Democratic National Convention voted to endorse Harris for the nomination.

Zoom in: Tennessee's elected Democratic officials praised Biden's legacy. Many of them backed Harris.

• "Well, I'm completely shocked and disappointed. In the last three years, the #Biden administration has accomplished so much. Was looking forward to another 4 years," Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) wrote .
• "I plan to do everything I can to support [Harris]," she wrote .

Tennessee Republicans including U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty called on Biden to resign immediately.

State of play: Biden, who has been in Rehoboth, Delaware, since last week recovering from COVID-19, faced intense pressure to withdraw from the race following his shaky debate performance on June 27 against former President Trump — after which elected Democrats , donors and allies expressed urgent concerns about the 81-year-old president's candidacy.

Go deeper: What's next for Democrats, delegates to replace Biden on the ticket