Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., called on President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid following a Tuesday morning meeting with other House Democrats about the 2024 race.
The New Jersey lawmaker said in a declaration that “the risks are too high – and the threat is too real – to remain silent” and that Biden should redirect his efforts to identify a new Democratic candidate.
“I know that President Biden and his team have been true public servants and have put the country and the best interests of democracy first in their considerations,” Sherrill said. “And because I know that President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country, I ask that he declare that he will not run for re-election and that he will help us lead a process towards a new candidate.”
When reached for comment, a Biden campaign official pointed NBC News to the president’s public letter to Democrats in Congress on Monday telling them he would not back down, saying “the voters spoke clearly and decisively.”
Sherrill is the ninth House Democrat to call for Biden to withdraw from the race, a week after Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democratic lawmaker to urge Biden to step aside.
During a closed-door meeting of House Democrats on Tuesday morning, only a few lawmakers raised concerns about Biden’s age and his ability to defeat former President Donald Trump in November, sources present told NBC News.
Biden is stepping up outreach efforts to assuage concerns about his candidacy following his poor debate performance against Trump in Atlanta last month.
NBC News previously reported that Biden is expected to speak virtually with Democratic mayors on Tuesday night and answer their questions, according to two sources familiar with the plans.
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