Local Electeds Comment on Biden Passing the Torch of the Democratic Party

By Rockland Daily Staff

In a significant shift within the Democratic Party, President Joe Biden has announced that he will not seek re-election, passing the torch to the next generation of leaders. This historic decision has sparked reactions from local elected officials, who have shared their thoughts on Biden's legacy and the future of the party.

Governor Hochul said "Joe Biden is an American hero, a true statesman, and he'll go down in history as one of the greatest champions of working families our nation has ever known. Thank you, Joe Biden. As Democrats, our mission remains the same: doing everything in our power to defeat Donald Trump. I’m proud to stand beside Kamal Harris. She is the right candidate to unite our country, and I am confident she will deliver for New Yorkers. Let’s get to work.

Congressman Mike Lawler wrote in his statement released on X: “While I respect President Biden’s decades of service to the country, and it’s unfortunate to see it end this way for him, Americans saw what they saw in the Presidential debate just over three weeks ago. It was clear President Biden wasn’t capable of running for re-election, let alone fulfilling another term. Democrat party elites tried to hide this from the American people for well over a year, but have spent weeks desperately working to depose President Biden, usurping the will of over 14.6 million Democratic Primary voters. They have succeeded. But the simple fact remains - no matter who replaces Joe Biden at the top of the ticket for the Democrats, they’ll be leading a party whose elites are increasingly radical and out of touch with the majority of Americans and whose policies have given us a broken economy, a disaster at our Southern border, and left the world a tinderbox. This election will be a referendum on those failed policies.”

Former Congressman Elijah Melnick wrote: "Thank you President Biden for your impressive leadership in these difficult times. Thank you even more for having the grace and courage to serve as a bridge to the next generation, allowing us to build upon your lifelong work. This was the decision of a true statesman. In 2020, more than 81 million people voted for Biden & Harris, knowing that if anything happened to him, she would become President. Now that Biden has ended his campaign, VP Harris is the clear choice to be the Democratic nominee. I look forward to helping her make history!"

This page will be updated as statements from more elected officials come in.