Kentucky Democrats have responded to President Joe Biden’s decision to leave the running for reelection. Several Kentucky politicians and donors had been pressuring Biden to exit the race due to what seemed to be insurmountable deficits due to his age.
Among those who called for his exit was Kentucky’s District 3 U.S. Congressman Morgan McGarvey. Upon hearing of Biden’s decision, McGarvey released a statement:
“Today, President Biden once more put his love of country before himself. This decision could not have been easy and he deserves our immense gratitude and profound respect.
“By returning to public service in 2020, he protected America from four more years of extremism, division, and hate under Donald Trump. President Biden brought the country together after January 6th, guided us out of the pandemic, led the nation to record low unemployment and record job growth, made the largest investment in clean energy and climate action in history, and restored American leadership abroad.
“President Biden knows the stakes of this election are simply too high and that the very fabric of our democracy is at risk. Through his actions today, President Biden has cemented his legacy as one of the most honorable, selfless, and effective Presidents in history.
“President Biden made an excellent choice when he selected Kamala Harris as his running mate in 2020. Vice President Harris has been fighting for a stronger, safer, and more inclusive America since day one. I’m proud to endorse her as the Democratic nominee. Democrats are already uniting around the Vice President, and I look forward to working to elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States.”
Fellow Kentucky House Democratic Caucus leaders Derrick Graham, Cherlynn Stevenson and Rachel Roberts released a statement as well,
“President Biden has served this nation with distinction, building a legacy as senator, vice president and president that will have a positive and lasting impact for generations. We commend him for his dedication to always put our country first, a selfless value that undoubtedly drove today’s decision. His administration has overseen strong economic growth, a return of respect on the world stage, and a commitment to building an America that seeks to unite rather than divide. Our presidential nominee may change, but furthering those goals never will.”
And widely talked about as a potential VP pick, Governor Andy Beshear also released a statement praising Biden and making a statement on the timbre of the race, asking for the tone of the race to change.
“President Biden will be remembered as a consequential president. Along with Vice President Harris, he led us through the aftermath of the January 6th attack on our Capitol and steadily steered us out of a global pandemic,” Beshear said in a release. “He showed up for Kentucky after devastating tornadoes and historic flooding, delivering immediate federal aid that is helping to rebuild our communities. His leadership provided infrastructure investments that are bringing clean drinking water and high speed internet to parts of Kentucky that for far too long had been overlooked and underserved. President Biden came through on the Brent Spence Companion Bridge Project, getting bipartisan funding for a project that had been stalled for years and is a major thoroughfare for national commerce.
While his decision today could not have been easy, it is in the best interest of our country, and our party. I want to thank him for his leadership, kindness and for a successful presidency that got big, important things done.
Now it is time for our nation to come together. We need to dial down the anger, rancor and noise. We have an opportunity to remember that we are taught to treat our neighbor as yourself—and that we are all each other’s neighbor.”
With the exit of Biden from the race, and with his endorsement, Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the de facto nominee for the party. With the Democratic convention scheduled for August, delegates will have the chance to officially support VP Harris. As of Monday morning, 531 delegates have already pledged their support for Harris. ActBlue, the Democratic funding engine, said that in the hours following Biden’s exit, donations towards Harris’ campaign reached a record of nearly 50 million dollars in the largest fundraising day of the 2024 campaign. Update 1:53 p.m.: Fundraising has reached more than 80 million dollars.
NEW: Small-dollar donors raise over $27.5 million on ActBlue in the first 5 hours of Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. Grassroots supporters are energized and excited to support her as the Democratic nominee.
— ActBlue (@actblue) July 21, 2024
