Rep. Miki Sherrill, D-North Jersey, has joined a small but growing number of Democratic leaders calling for an end to President Joe Biden's reelection campaign, which was widely panned during last month's debate.
“I know that President Biden and his team are true public servants who have always put the best interests of our country and our democracy first,” Sherrill said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. “Because I know President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country, I am asking him to declare that he will not run for reelection and to lead the process of selecting a new nominee.”
Sherrill, a Montclair Democrat who flipped her suburban district from Republican to Democrat in 2018, became the seventh Democrat to call on Biden to drop out of the presidential race – and the first New Jersey Democrat to do so.
style:New Jersey Democrats are worried about Joe Biden's future as a candidate. Here's why
The 11th District congresswoman, who is rumored to be a gubernatorial candidate next year and is a strong supporter of the president, issued a statement just Monday that made no mention of Biden's future, saying she was instead focused on “defeating Donald Trump and taking back the House of Representatives, which is more urgent than ever given the recent Supreme Court decisions.”
But after House Democrats met on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, the three-term congressman, whose district includes most of Morris County and parts of Essex and Passaic, said he decided it would be best for another candidate to challenge Trump.
Sherrill: The risks are too great to remain silent
“The people of my district are united in their concern about our country and our future,” she wrote. “They want a leader who can build on our successes, but also focus our people's attention on the imminent threat that Mr. Trump poses to our democracy, freedom, and nation.”
“For my four children and all of their rights that would be at risk if President Trump were to become president again, and given the recent Supreme Court decisions that have given excessive power to the President of the United States, the risk is too great and the threat is too real to remain silent.”
While praising Biden's work, she added, “I understand this is hard, but since the founding of our country, we have done hard things in the pursuit of our democracy, and now is the time to do so again.”
Biden said Monday he has no plans to withdraw from the race and has garnered support in recent days from the Congressional Black Caucus and key progressive Democrats.
Andy Kim, Malinowski give their thoughts on Biden
Sherrill is so far the only member of New Jersey's Democratic caucus to explicitly call for Biden to resign, but other lawmakers have also expressed concerns.
Rep. Andy Kim, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate this fall, said in an interview with the New Jersey Globe on Tuesday that he has “concerns” about Biden's ability to remain at the top of the shortlist. Kim, a Burlington County Democrat, suggested he's open to discussing replacing Biden, though he said it's “still on the table.”
Former New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski made it clear on Sunday in a post on X, a platform previously known as Twitter, that he feels it's time for Biden to withdraw from the race.
“I remain proud to be the first New Jersey congressman to endorse Joe Biden in 2020,” he wrote. “He has been an unparalleled and successful president. Today, he can go down in history as the man who saved America from Trump twice — first by running for office four years ago, and then by passing the baton.”
Staff writer Charles Styles contributed to this article.
William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news in your local community, Subscribe or activate your digital account now.
Email: wwesthoven@Daily Record
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