New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich, Congressman Gabe Vasquez call for Biden to suspend reelection campaign
Update: A spokesperson for the Biden-Harris campaign reached out to ABC-7 today, reiterating the president's commitment to running and winning another term.
Campaign Chair Jen O'Malley Dillion spoke this morning in support of Biden's run.
“You have heard from the President directly time and again: He is in this race to win, and he is our nominee, and he's going to be our President for a second term," O'Malley Dillion stated.
Congressman Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) is now calling for Biden to step aside, saying that doing so would give Democrats the best chance to win in November.
“President Joe Biden is an honorable public servant who has dedicated his career to bettering the lives of all Americans. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for his time serving our nation.
However, I believe too many of our fundamental freedoms and the wellbeing of our nation are at risk under a Trump presidency and President Biden should step aside to give Democrats the best opportunity to win this November. With abortion rights under attack and our Democracy at stake, we must unite to defeat Donald Trump and MAGA extremists.
But make no mistake, regardless of who our nominee is, my number one job will be to take care of the people of my district and continue bringing results home to New Mexico.”
Rep. Gabe Vasquez
Meanwhile Vasquez's fellow New Mexican in Congress, Melanie Stansbury, came out in support of Biden's bid, calling for her constituents to vote for the president in November.
Donald Trump and JD Vance will ban abortions nationwide, cut Medicare and social security, and roll back protections for our LGBTQ+ community members. In November vote for @joebiden and Democrats up and down the ballot. pic.twitter.com/9q6coCDzlH
— Melanie Stansbury (@MelanieforNM) July 19, 2024
SANTA FE, New Mexico (KVIA) -- New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich is calling for President Joe Biden to suspend his reelection campaign.
Heinrich is calling Biden an accomplished president, but says that at this moment, it is in the best interest of the county for Biden to withdraw.
The senator's office released the following statement by Heinrich to ABC-7. You can read it in full below.
“Joe Biden is one of the most accomplished presidents in modern history. He has led our nation through unprecedented challenges with unwavering dedication and profound integrity. His years of service have made a lasting impact on the lives of countless Americans.
Senator Martin Heinrich
However, this moment in our nation's history calls for a focus that is bigger than any one person. The return of Donald Trump to the White House poses an existential danger to our democracy. We must defeat him in November, and we need a candidate who can do that.
While the decision to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, I believe it is in the best interests of our country for him to step aside. By passing the torch, he would secure his legacy as one of our nation's greatest leaders and allow us to unite behind a candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump and safeguard the future of our democracy.”