Congressman Greg Stanton is the latest Arizona Democrat to call on President Joe Biden to leave the presidential race.
In a statement on Thursday, Stanton said the Democratic Party needs a nominee who can effectively take on former President Donald Trump and earn the confidence of the American people.
“For the sake of American democracy, and to continue to make progress on our shared priorities, I believe it is time for the President to step aside as our nominee,” Stanton said.
Stanton also called Biden one of the most effective modern U.S. presidents. He cited a number of Biden’s accomplishments since taking office in 2020, including bipartisan infrastructure and semiconductor legislation that sent billions of dollars in federal investment to Arizona.
He also praised Biden for defeating Trump in 2020.
“Perhaps President Biden’s most defining legacy, though, is as a fierce defender of American democracy,” Stanton said. “Donald Trump poses an existential threat to our Constitution and the rule of law, and to the hard-fought rights Americans have enjoyed for generations. A second Trump term would be devastating for our Republic and the stakes in this election could not be higher.”
Beyond those accomplishments, Stanton called Biden “one of the most decent people to ever occupy the White House.”
The Biden campaign reiterated that the president will not leave the race and said he is the best candidate to defeat Trump, citing many of the same accomplishments pointed out by Stanton.
“There is a clear choice at the ballot box, and we cannot forget the threat that is Donald Trump — he’s pushing a nationwide abortion ban, wants to eliminate jobs in Arizona, and continues to push violent rhetoric and extremism," said Biden campaign spokesman Jacques Petit. "That’s what’s at stake for Arizonans in this election and why we must stand with President Biden and stop Donald Trump.”
