by Ruth Conniff, Wisconsin Examiner
July 19, 2024
On Friday, Wisconsin Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan became the first member of Congress from Wisconsin to call on President Joe Biden to suspend his presidential campaign. Pocan released a joint message with three other House Democrats calling for President Joe Biden to step out of the 2024 race.
Together with Democratic U.S. Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Mark Veasey of Texas, who is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and Chuy Garcia of Illinois, Pocan wrote, “Mr. President, with great admiration for you personally, sincere respect for your decades of public service and patriotic leadership, and deep appreciation for everything we have accomplished together during your presidency, it is now time for you to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders.”
Despite Biden’s accomplishments over the past four years, Pocan and his colleagues wrote, “we must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign. These perceptions may not be fair, but they have hardened in the aftermath of last month’s debate and are now unlikely to change.”
Praising “a deep and talented bench of young leaders, led by Kamala Harris,” Pocan and the other Democrats wrote that “passing the torch” would “reinvigorate the race and infuse Democrats with enthusiasm and momentum heading into our convention next month.”
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