Following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would be stepping out of the presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, several Colorado Democrats issued broad statements of support and gratitude for Biden’s years of public service.
The president’s decision follows a disastrous debate performance that sparked renewed concern about his fitness for four more years in office. In the weeks since, waning support from donors, a small but growing number of calls from democrats in Congress to withdraw and a COVID-19 diagnosis further chipped away at his campaign’s vitality.
Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper both thanked President Joe Biden for his service to the country after he announced Sunday that he would be withdrawing from the race. In the weeks leading up to this announcement, both had spoken about hearing concerns from their constituents but had stopped short of calling on Biden to drop out.
Bennet, who had been among the more outspoken Democratic senators in sharing his worries about Biden’s campaign prospects, thanked the president for his years of public service and cited his accomplishments during that time.
“America is a better, stronger country because of President Biden’s decades of public service and dedication to the American Dream,” he said in a statement.
After saying he worried that “we could lose the whole thing” if Biden continued, Bennet said Sunday that Biden’s decision to step aside “has again given us the chance to beat Donald Trump and give our children the future they deserve.”
Several hours after his initial statement, Bennet endorsed Harris as the new nominee, saying she has the “experience, record, and integrity to be the next president of the United States.”
"For months, we have watched the vice president crisscross the country and passionately combat Trump's barrage of lies,” Bennet said. “As our nominee, she will inspire and lead the American people with an economic vision that brings us together, instead of dividing us. She will forcefully defend a woman's right to control her own body. She will speak to the future our children and their children righteously demand.”
Hickenlooper, who had appeared more torn about the issue, reiterated his previous comments that he thought Biden would put the country first.
“For more than 50 years in public service, President Biden has always put the country before any personal concern or ambitions. It’s just who he is,” he said in a statement. “More than anything, I’m thankful Joe Biden has given so much to this country over a lifetime of service.”
Shortly after Bennet’s endorsement, Hickenlooper also announced his support for Harris’ campaign.
“Vice President Harris is already uniting the Democratic Party, just as she will unite America,” he wrote on X. “She has been President Biden’s copilot for these amazing four years and we can’t wait to do everything we can to help her win.”
Gov. Jared Polis also thanked the president for his service and his impact on Colorado. He called Biden’s decision to step aside “the right one” and acknowledged that “this could not have been an easy decision.”
“Joe Biden promised Americans he would always do what’s right for our country and once again he has delivered,” the governor said in a statement. “The United States cannot afford another potential four years of a disastrous Trump presidency that would trample on rights and freedoms, derail our economy, increase costs and harm our international standing. Coloradans and I are deeply grateful to President Biden for his incredible leadership and his unrelenting commitment to the country we all love.”
Polis also endorsed Harris, saying in a statement that she “has a vision of hope and a future we can all believe in.”
"Americans want to turn the page,” he said. “We want a new generation of leaders to lead us into a future where we have more freedoms, an economy that grows the middle class, where we save people money and we address climate change."
Democratic candidate for Colorado’s 3rd district Adam Frisch, who first called for the president to withdraw at the start of July, praised the president’s decision to drop out, writing on the social platform X that “Today marks a pivotal moment for our country. I applaud President' Biden’s decision to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders and am grateful for his years of steadfast public service.”
Other Democrats from Colorado’s congressional delegation, including Rep. Brittany Petterson, who called on Biden to end his reelection bid, also shared gratitude for the president’s years of service.
With Biden stepping away from the campaign, Democrats face an uncertain path forward. Although Biden immediately threw support behind Harris, this doesn’t guarantee her the nomination.
With the Democratic National Convention slated to begin on Aug. 19, the next few days and weeks will be pivotal as Democrats choose who to support for the new nominee. Still, the nominee won’t become official until delegates vote in August, either at the convention or during a proposed virtual roll-call vote in the first week of August.
In the hours since Biden’s announcement, no one has announced a bid for the nomination and challenged Harris, but it’s possible that someone could in the next few weeks. If this happens, there’s the potential for an open convention – not seen in the Democratic Primary since 1968 – if the party can’t unify behind a singular candidate.
Before Biden’s departure, Bennet repeatedly told reporters that he believed Democrats would unify, regardless of who the candidate would be. Over 150 Democratic U.S. representatives and more than 15 Democratic senators, including Bennet and Hickenlooper, have endorsed Harris so far, but the next few weeks will reveal whether the party can come together after a tumultuous few weeks.
Kathryn Squyres is an intern for The Durango Herald and The Journal in Cortez and a student at American University in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at ksquyres@durangoherald.com.
