Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva has become the latest House Democrat to question President Joe Biden’s re-election chances and call for him to exit the race. The 76-year-old congressman told the New York Times that while he would support Biden if he becomes the nominee, there may be better options available. Grijalva is not the first House Democrat to express concerns about Biden’s viability as a candidate; Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) was the first to call for the president to step aside last week, citing his lackluster debate performance against former President Donald Trump and worsening poll numbers. Reps. Jared Golden (D-Me.) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), who co-chair the moderate Blue Dog Coalition, also declared their belief that Biden would lose to Trump but did not directly call for his withdrawal from the race.
Grijalva’s comments come on the heels of a CBS News/YouGov survey which found that 69% of registered voters and 78% of independents believe Biden should step aside following his disastrous verbal slugfest with Trump in Atlanta last June. The poll also revealed that a slight majority (51%) of likely 2024 voters in battleground states prefer Trump over Biden as their preferred candidate.
Despite the growing number of House Democrats voicing concerns about his re-election prospects, Grijalva’s call for Biden to exit the race is notable given his seniority and long tenure in Congress. Similarly aged congressmen like Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) have also expressed doubts about Biden’s ability to win back the presidency.
The president recently huddled with campaign staff, vowing that he is “in this race to the end” and pledging victory. However, according to an anonymous ally cited by the New York Times, if upcoming campaign events in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and a high-stakes interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos do not improve his fortunes, Biden may have no choice but to withdraw from the race. White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates dismissed these reports as “absolutely false.
