On Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden stepped down from his position as the 2024 presidential Democratic nominee. Shortly after the announcement, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the new nominee.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. 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 fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in a statement posted to X.
The decision followed weeks of pressure for Biden to step down, prompted largely by his debate performance on June 27 — which the Washington Post described as “shaky.” New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich (D) and New Mexico Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D) both called on Biden to step down last week.
New Mexico Rep. Joy Garratt (D) said she believed Biden’s decision reflected what was right for the United States and the election.
“Sometimes politicians become very egoistic, and I’m sure it was a hard decision to make, but he made it for the greater good,” Garratt said.
Garratt also said she thinks Harris has the expertise to be a successful presidential candidate.
“I think that Kamala Harris really reflects America … She’s drawing from a really deep base of knowledge — personal knowledge — in her life experience,” Garratt said.
The University of New Mexico College Democrats will stand by the Democratic nominee, but will continue to hold candidates accountable, the organization wrote in a statement to the Daily Lobo.
“While we may have stark differences and issues with this candidate, we know how important this election is for our country, for workers, for young people, for reproductive rights, and for our democracy,” the statement reads.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham released a statement in support of Biden and his decision Sunday.
“While President Biden is an indisputably great leader, his decision to withdraw from the presidential race at this fraught moment in U.S. history is in the best interest of the Democratic Party and the nation,” Lujan Grisham’s statement reads.
Former President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump wrote that Biden “was not fit to run for president, and is certainly not fit to serve,” in a post on Truth Social.
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After Biden’s endorsement, Harris thanked Biden for his presidential leadership in a post on X.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” the post reads.
Harris is not automatically the new Democratic presidential nominee, according to Vox. The nominee will be chosen by delegates attending the Democratic National Convention, which starts on August 19. It is possible that other Democrats will vie for the position.
“I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda,” Harris wrote on X.
Lily Alexander is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @llilyalexander
Addison Fulton is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com
Lauren Lifke is the news editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @lauren_lifke
Lauren Lifke is the managing editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @lauren_lifke
Lily Alexander is the 2024-2025 Editor of the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @llilyalexander
