New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich on Friday became the third Democratic member of the upper chamber to call for President Biden to drop out of the 2024 race, joining 26 other lawmakers.
Heinrich echoed his colleagues in a statement calling on the 81-year-old president to “pass the torch” — without immediately suggesting whether Vice President Kamala Harris or another candidate should take Biden’s place.
“Joe Biden is one of the most accomplished presidents in modern history,” Heinrich said. “However, this moment in our nation’s history calls for a focus that is bigger than any one person.”
“While the decision to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is in the best interests of the country for him to step aside,” he added. “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 democracy.”
Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) have both urged Biden to withdraw, along with two dozen House Democrats — four of whom came forward on Friday with statements calling for the president to step down.