Connecticut’s Ned Lamont first Dem governor to suggest Biden should leave presidential race
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont became the first Democratic governor to suggest that President Biden abandon his 2024 presidential reelection campaign.
Lamont told reporters Friday during an event in New Haven that was was “simpatico” with the position of fellow Connecticut Dem Rep. Jim Himes, who has called on Biden to drop out of the race.
“Maybe we try and influence the decision in different ways … I think we’ve come to the same conclusion,” ”Lamont said, CT Mirror reported.
He declined to elaborate further, and in an official statement, his office was equivocal.
“Governor Lamont has been clear that it’s President Biden’s choice to make, and his comments reflect that,” said spokeswoman Julia Bergman.
Lamont’s stance carries extra sting as he was one of the first governors to endorse Biden in his come-from-behind 2020 primary.
What to know about the calls for President Biden to drop out of the 2024 race:
- President Biden’s poor performance in the first 2024 presidential debate left some Democrats unsure of his fitness for office and future as the party’s candidate.
- More than a dozen congressional Democrats have joined in calling for Biden’s exit from the race. Former Biden supporter George Clooney echoed these calls in an op-ed published in the New York Times just weeks after he helped lead a record-breaking fundraiser for the Democrat.
- Democratic voters have continued to raise concerns about Biden’s nomination since the debate, with speculations and suggestions for replacement nominees running rampant.
- Biden’s former running mate Barack Obama has reportedly been trying to pressure him to drop out, and had prior knowledge of Clooney’s op-ed. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allegedly told Biden he could not beat former President Donald Trump this time around.
- As the Democratic National Convention approaches, California delegates for the Democratic Party are reportedly in disarray as debate over the president’s chances of re-election threatens to tear the party apart.
- However, the Biden campaign has denied any plans for Biden to bow out and for Kamala Harris to step in as the Democratic nominee. Sources close to the president believe he might not be willing to drop out, while other sources claim he is “receptive” to giving up on a second term.
Biden’s campaign has been in a tailspin since a disastrous debate performance last month, with new questions being raised about whether he has the cognitive fortitude to win against Trump and serve until the end of a second tern — when he will be 86 years old.
In addition to a clutch of House lawmakers, Biden has also faced defections from Hollywood A-listers such George Clooney, Democratic Senators like Vermont’s Pete Welch and top donors like Abigail Disney.
Biden has steadfastly refused to consider leaving the race and vowed that only “Lord Almighty” could drive him from the campaign.