FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — Valley Democrats rushed to President Biden’s side on Sunday, applauding the president’s decision to step aside and cancel his bid for a second term in the White House.
Marsha Conant, the First Vice Chair of the Fresno County Democratic Party, commended the president’s announcement during an interview with Action News.
“I think it’s a matter of strength,” she said. “I think he’s showing a lot of integrity to do this at this time.”
Republicans are piling on, raising questions about Biden’s ability to remain in the presidency for six more months.
Former Valley Republican Representative Connie Conway has concerns.
“I don’t know how he plans on doing this because he says he’s not going to run, and yet he’s gonna stay,” Conway said. “He has a lot of physical impairments. He has a lot of things going on.”
While former President Donald Trump has passionately criticized President Biden’s record, ABC News reports that Trump’s advisers had privately hoped President Biden would stay in the race.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has said Republicans will likely go to court and challenge the attempt to replace Biden on the Democratic ticket so close to an election.
“Our country is based on laws and rules, and we need to follow them,” Conway said. “If you put the shoe on the other foot, I’m sure they’d do the same thing to us.”
The political back-and-forth comes as Democrats are against the clock to unify and nominate a new ticket. As some call for an open process, Biden has endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris.
“She has a long political history,” Conant said. “One that has been of leadership, again, integrity, and I believe she is the logical choice. I don’t think we can have 15 people throwing their hats in the ring now.”
Harris enjoys name recognition in California from her time as Attorney General and Senator, and California delegates will play a key role at the Democratic National Convention in August.
The state will send nearly 500 delegates, more than any other state.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom — one of Biden’s top surrogates and is often floated as a potential replacement at the top of the ticket — has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on X.
After calling for Biden to pass the torch earlier this week, Fresno Democratic Congressman Jim Costa praised Biden’s decision in a statement Sunday.
“President Biden acted, yet again, as our nation’s leader when he made one of the bravest and most difficult decisions of his career by putting the interests of the American people first,” Costa wrote. “We need to praise him for his legacy of of leadership and long list of accomplishments.”
Congressman Vince Fong also released a statement following President’s Biden decision Sunday, saying in part:
“President Joe Biden’s decision to not run for reelection reflects what a lot of Americans know-our country cannot afford or endure another four years of Biden-Harris policies. Every American can empirically compare two presidencies side by side, and there is no doubt that Americans were fundamentally better off under President Trump.”
