Editor’s note: This story is breaking and developing. It will be updated.
President Joe Biden announced on Sunday afternoon he would not seek reelection in November 2024 and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden’s historic decision followed weeks of pressure from fellow Democrats who feared the president could not defeat former President Donald Trump in November and would drag down congressional Democratic candidates across the nation.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” Biden wrote on social media on Sunday. “And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus entirely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
Many prominent Democrats for weeks publicly expressed concern that Biden, after a late June debate performance, appeared to have lost mental acuity over the past four years and wasn’t up for another term. Post-debate polling showed that Biden slipped in key swing states — even in states where Democratic congressional candidates still ran ahead of Republican challengers.
Biden and his top campaign aides publicly insisted he would resist the pressure and stay in the race. But the post-debate pressure grew by the day, culminating in Biden’s withdrawal announcement on Sunday.
Harris, a former top prosecutor in California, notably landed Biden’s immediate endorsement. Many Democrats and pundits have questioned whether Harris would be endorsed by Biden or whether the Democratic Party would open up their August convention to multiple candidates.
Regardless, the 2024 election will mark the first time in 56 years that a major U.S. political party will nominate a candidate who did not run for president in primary elections.
“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden posted to social media. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Politicians in Mississippi and around the nation immediately took to social media to respond to Biden’s historic announcement or made statements about it Sunday.
State Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, House Democratic leader and Democratic National Convention delegate: “President Biden has demonstrated he is more interested in doing what is best for the county than for himself.” Johnson said he will support the new nominee, which is crucial because Trump poses a threat to democracy. He said he believes Harris is ready to serve as president, otherwise Biden would not have chosen her as his running mate.
State Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, a delegate to the convention who will be on the Democratic National Committee for the next four-year term: “History will remember Joe Biden as a successful president who always put his country first,” Blount said. “President Biden restored decency and statesmanship to our country. He stood up to Russia and those who sought to overthrow an election with violence.
“All Mississippians who will enjoy better highways, improved water/sewer systems and high speed internet should thank President Biden for what he did for our state. Our party will leave the convention united and ready to win in November.”
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