President Joe Biden on Sunday announced that he will not seek reelection in November.
Biden in a written statement said, “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
The 81-year-old president had faced calls from other members of the Democratic Party to not run again due to concerns about his age, particularly after a stumbling performance at a debate with former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump last month.
In a separate statement, Biden said he endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, the former San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and U.S. senator, to run as the Democratic candidate.
“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,” Biden wrote. “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.”
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.
President joe biden
Biden said he will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about his decision to not run for reelection.
The announcement is the latest development in a chaotic 2024 presidential race, which was rocked last week by an attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania.
The Democratic National Convention starts on Aug. 19 in Chicago, leaving less than a month for the party to determine if Harris or another candidate will be nominated.
Harris posted on social media Sunday afternoon thanking Biden for his “extraordinary leadership,” adding that she intends to run for nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate in the upcoming November election.
“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris wrote.
Bay Area leaders, state officials react
Meanwhile, all day Sunday across the Bay Area, the state and the nation, public officials reacted to the news that Biden will not seek reelection..
“President Biden has been an extraordinary, history-making president — a leader who has fought hard for working people and delivered astonishing results for all Americans. He will go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, concluding, “Thank you, @JoeBiden.”
House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, also extolled Biden.
“President Joe Biden is a patriotic American who has always put our country first. His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential presidents in American history,” Pelosi posted on X.
“With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfillment,” Pelosi said.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed praised both Biden’s performance as president and his decision to not run for reelection.
“He came into a time of great peril for our democracy, in the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic, and he had the courage, wisdom and vision to stabilize our nation … President Biden has given his entire life to public service and this country, and once again he is showing what it means to put his country first,” Breed posted on X.
State Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire said, “Through his leadership, America’s economy is back from the abyss, he’s created a record number of jobs for working families, he’s reinvested in rural America, doubled the stock market, stood strong for reproductive rights.”
U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, released a statement, “President Joe Biden once again showed his immense love for this country by making the very difficult and courageous decision to step aside as the Democratic nominee today.”
Lee continued, “From appointing the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court to historic investments in addressing climate change and improving infrastructure, to saving lives and reviving our economy after the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden’s legacy as president will live on forever.”
State Sen. Scott Wiener released a statement, saying, “President Biden is an extraordinary leader. He led us out of the pandemic and the disastrous Trump presidency. He delivered critical legislative wins on climate, manufacturing and infrastructure. And once again, he’s putting the nation before himself. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Former President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who are married to each other, released a joint statement. Like the other officials, they praised Biden’s accomplishments, saying his presidency “lifted America out of an unprecedented pandemic, created millions of new jobs, rebuilt a battered economy, strengthened our democracy, and restored our standing in the world.”
The two added, “We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her.”
Former President Barack Obama weighed in on social media, saying, “Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded – again – that he’s a patriot of the highest order.”