Gov. Maura Healey is urging President Joe Biden to “listen to the American people” and carefully consider whether he should continue his reelection bid, making her the first Democratic governor to publicly suggest that Biden weigh exiting the race.
In her first public comments since meeting with Biden and other Democratic governors at the White House Wednesday, Healey also said the decision around what comes next is up to the president.
“Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump,” she said in a statement. “Whatever President Biden decides, I am committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump.”
Healey, a campaign surrogate for Biden, also joined Democratic governors on a private call earlier this week. During that call, she reportedly said she’d told White House chief of staff Jeff Zients that Biden’s political position is “irretrievable” after his poor performance debating former President Donald Trump last week, according to the New York Times. The Times also reported Healey did not speak during the subsequent meeting between Democratic governors and the president.
In her Friday statement, Healey didn’t acknowledge the Times’s report, but said Biden has “done an outstanding job” as president.
“I am deeply grateful for his leadership,” Healey said. “And I know he agrees this is the most important election of our lifetimes.”
Questions around Biden’s political future and Democrats’ next steps have swirled since Biden and Trump squared off in the first of two scheduled debates.
Healey had called Biden’s debate performance “tough to watch” but said she was more concerned watching Trump “brag about overturning Roe once again and taking away health care for women” and “talk about his refusal to accept the results of the last election.”
In the wake of the White House meeting, Healey had remained mum until Friday afternoon as some other governors, like Maine’s Janet Mills, publicly reaffirmed their support for their president.
She’s not the only Massachusetts Democrat to speak out. U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton has now called for Biden to step aside, and U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss has also said Biden needs to consider whether he’s “the strongest candidate to defeat Donald Trump in November.”
Two Beacon Hill lawmakers, state Sen. Jason Lewis of Winchester and state Rep. Mike Connolly of Cambridge, have each said Biden should leave the race.
In a post on X — formerly Twitter — Friday afternoon, Biden strongly pushed back at the idea that he might choose to end his candidacy.
“Let me say this as clearly as I can: I’m the sitting President of the United States,” Biden wrote. “I’m the nominee of the Democratic party. I’m staying in the race.”
