ST. LOUIS – Sunday marks a seismic shift in nation’s political landscape, as President Joe Biden becomes the first sitting commander in chief in nearly 60 years to end his reelection campaign. In two statements, President Biden declared his intention to drop out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take the reins atop the Democratic ticket.
Reactions from both Democrats and Republicans were swift, with the former praising Biden’s sacrifice and the latter demanding he resign from office altogether.
Here is a collection of reactions from elected leaders across Missouri and Illinois.
In these critical times where MAGA extremism and fascism is determined to set us backwards, our number one goal needs to be to defeat Trump in November. I commend and thank President Biden for prioritizing our nation’s needs; a decision that I am sure was a difficult one. Since the start of President Biden’s transformative presidency, I have advocated for the Administration to deliver a progressive agenda that works for people in St. Louis and around the world. From successfully defeating Trump, to enacting the transformative American Rescue Plan, to forgiving over $100 billion in student debt, and pioneering the largest climate investments in history with the Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden has made historic achievements to help to deliver this agenda. Under his presidency, we’ve seen the dawn of the first major gun safety law in nearly 30 years, the landmark appointments of Black women to our courts, including the historic appointment of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and the selection of Kamala Harris for Vice President of the United States—who he is fully endorsing for the Democratic nomination for President.
The majority of voters across our country are unequivocal in their support for an agenda that recognizes the humanity of ALL people across the world, a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the genocide of Palestinians, student debt cancellation, living wages, affordable housing, and full reproductive freedom. With today’s announcement, Biden has signaled that he has heard and is listening to the voices of millions of voters. The decision to pass the torch to a new generation is a principled and necessary one.
In 2020, voters turned out to deliver Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House. The people’s vote was a vote not only for President Biden, but a vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and her ability to defeat MAGA extremism across the country. When we say trust Black women, we mean it. Black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party and it is past time for us to lead our country forward. Kamala Harris is more than ready to lead at this moment. As we look forward to November, it is clear to me that Vice President Kamala Harris has the vision to carry this legacy forward, defeat Donald Trump, and I unequivocally endorse her for President of the United States.
Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri 1st)
President Joe Biden has dedicated his life in service to this nation, and its citizens are all the better for it. His is a storied political career culminating in one of the most accomplished and effective presidencies of our lifetime. As President of the United States he led us through a recovery from a devastating pandemic and shepherded our economy away from a recession to prosperity. He worked across the aisle to pass some of the most consequential legislation in decades to rebuild our roads and bridges while investing in the infrastructure and jobs of the 21st century. Perhaps most consequentially, President Biden restored dignity to the Oval Office, bringing the statesmanship and honor that have been the hallmarks of his years of service, back to the White House.
As we extend our gratitude to President Biden and reflect on his many accomplishments, we must not ignore the threat posed by Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House. Donald Trump is a 34 time convicted felon, adjudicated to have committed sexual assault, a racist, homophobe and misogynist. Trump brags about taking away a woman’s right to choose, wants to rip healthcare away from tens of millions of people, proposes economic policies that will cost the middle class thousands of dollars a year, and threatens the fundamental American ideals we hold dear. I will work every day to ensure that he does not win in November.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker
No one has done more for working Americans than Joe Biden—and so many of us owe him a debt of gratitude for everything he’s done to improve our country.
Over more than 50 years in public service, he’s built an unparalleled record of accomplishments. From helping write the Violence Against Women Act in the Senate to shepherding the Affordable Care Act into law as Vice President and from helping guide our nation out of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic to overseeing historic wage and job growth during his Presidency, Joe Biden has always put our country first and worked to change so many aspects of our lives for the better.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank him for his effective and successful leadership and for, once again, putting our country before himself. This difficult decision ensures that Democrats can focus on the goal that unites each and every one of us: defeating Donald Trump and preventing another four years of his destructive chaos and corruption.
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois)
Joe Biden’s time in elected office is far past its expiration date. Biden’s three-and-a-half-year tenure in the White House has brought Americans crushing inflation, an abysmal foreign policy record, and a vastly unchecked expansion of the administrative state. Americans are ready for new leadership, not more of the same from Democrats – regardless of who they now scramble to nominate. Further, if Joe Biden isn’t fit enough to serve as a candidate after the primary, he isn’t fit to serve as president now.
U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri)
Republicans in Congress and concerned citizens across America have questioned President Biden’s fitness for office for months. After dismissing those concerns at every turn, Biden’s allies have now forced him out of the campaign in hopes of salvaging races up and down the ballot. Unfortunately for them, it’s too late. The American people are hungry for change and for real leadership, and you aren’t going to get that from Vice President Harris or any of the other top Democrats who helped create this mess in the first place. President Trump is the clear frontrunner heading into November, regardless of who the Democrats nominate at their convention.
Rep. Mike Bost (R-Illinois 12th)
