This photo of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris was posted on Biden’s Twitter account.
By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
This story will be updated.
Under pressure from within his own Democratic party to step aside, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. announced he is no longer seeking re-election for another four-year term Sunday afternoon and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
The 81-year-old said he would focus his remaining time in office solely on the job at hand.
This decision sets both the Democratic and Republican parties scrambling with November’s election not long away.
In a fund-raising email soon after Biden’s announcement, former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, said: “Democrats think they can just swap out cognitively impaired Crooked Joe Biden and steal this election.
“So I need ONE MILLION RESPONSES RIGHT NOW to prove them WRONG. WE’RE GOING TO MAKE IT TOO BIG TO RIG!”
Trump was expecting to go up against Biden, but after a debate a month ago in which Biden struggled, Biden has been receiving calls to step down for the good of the Democratic party.
In a letter posted on @JoeBiden, Sunday, he said 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 thanked Harris for being “an extraordinary partner in all of this work” over the past three and half years “we have made progress as a nation.”
He said this country has the strongest economy in the world.
He listed off a number of accomplishments from lowering drug costs to gun safety laws to overcoming the pandemic.
“I know none of this would be done without you, the American people,” Biden said.
In a second and separate post, Biden focused on endorsing Harris.
“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Reaction from across New Hampshire on a sunny summer Sunday was slow with the New York Times posting the news at 2:08 p.m.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, said: “President Biden has been one of America’s most accomplished and consequential presidents. From fixing our nation’s broken infrastructure systems to strengthening our global alliances in the face of unprecedented challenges to enacting the most sweeping climate change legislation to getting our country to the other side of the COVID pandemic, President Biden should be proud of the progress America has made under his leadership.
“As he always has, President Biden is once again putting the country he loves first, and I thank him for his unwavering dedication and service to our nation.” Shaheen said.
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has repeatedly said throughout this race that he did not believe Biden would be the nominee.
At about 3 p.m. Sunday, Sununu dropped a series of video clips of him speaking to national media about the Presidential race and with one which said, “no one loves an I told you so moment more than a politician.”
Former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, a Democrat running in the primary for governor, said she “will always be grateful for President Biden’s lifetime of service to our country, support for New Hampshire families, and for his leadership as our President.”
“When I served as Mayor of Manchester, President Biden’s administration awarded Manchester a $44 million Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant to develop our innovative bio-manufacturing industry and create 7,000 family-sustaining jobs.
“Now, southern New Hampshire has been federally designated as a tech-hub bringing in another $44 million that will create even more opportunities for Granite Staters. These are game-changing investments by the Biden-Harris administration that will strengthen our communities and support New Hampshire’s hardworking families. I will always be grateful for President Biden’s lifetime of service to our country, support for New Hampshire families, and for his leadership as our President,” Craig said.
Outgoing state Sen. Becky Whitley, D-Hopkinton, who dropped out of the race for U.S. Congress in the Second Congressional District, said on X, formerly Twitter, that Biden made “a courageous decision. He’s doing what he’s always done, putting the country and service above all else. He’s listened to the American people and is putting democracy above his own interests. This is leadership, friends.”
New Hampshire GOP Chairman Chris Ager said: “Regardless of who runs, the Democratic nominee represents failed progressive policies. Enough of the disastrous policies of the left. Vote Republican November 5th.”
Republican House Majority Leader Jason Osborne of Auburn said on X, formerly Twitter: “106 days of listening to Kamalamity campaign and we’re all going to be needing to wear those big ear bandages.”
Small business owner, engineer, and former citizen legislator Russell Prescott, who is running for U.S. Congress, had the following to say on President Biden’s withdrawal from the race and decision to endorse Vice President Harris for President:
“With President Biden fulfilling a part of his obligation to the American people by announcing he is not seeking re-election, with many more months still left in his presidency, it’s time for him to do the right thing and resign. It’s also high time for Chris Pappas to do the right thing for America and echo the same call on President Biden to resign.
“Furthermore, party elites like Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Chris Pappas denied millions of voters the democratic process to choose the nominee of one of the major political parties in our country. That is wrong, and I am confident that voters will hold Democrats accountable at the ballot box this November,” Prescott said.
U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, R-NH, said “In just under four years as our Commander in Chief, President Biden has cemented himself in history as one of the most consequential leaders to hold the Oval Office. There is no doubt his administration will forever be remembered for having one of the most impressive legislative records since President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson. These achievements, which have improved the lives of millions of Americans across the country, were no surprise to those who have watched his incredible and storied career in Washington for over 50 years.
“…This decision to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, will be crucial to the long-term success of Democrats for future generations. NewDems remember his legacy today, and applaud him for making this difficult decision,” Kuster said.
Democratic U.S. Congressman Chris Pappas said, “I agree with President Biden’s decision to pass the torch to a new generation. The stakes in this election could not be higher, and this moment requires us to be forward-looking and put the needs of everyday Americans front and center. This election is about more than one candidate on the ballot. Protecting reproductive freedom, strengthening Social Security and Medicare, lowering drug prices, and bringing down costs for families are all on the ballot this November. That is why I remain focused on continuing the progress we’ve made, making a difference for Granite Staters, and putting New Hampshire first.”