Rep. Takano Becomes Latest Democrat Urging Biden To Step Down—And ‘Pass The Torch’ To Harris
KEY FACTS
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., became the latest House Democrat to call on Biden to “pass the torch” to Harris, arguing in a statement on Saturday Harris “can seamlessly transition into the role of our party’s standard bearer,” lauding Harris as an “invaluable governing partner to the President.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., praised Harris in an MSNBC interview Saturday morning, saying the vice president is “ready to step up” and “take on Donald Trump,” though she did not go as far as to call on Biden to step aside, saying Biden “is our nominee” and has “a really big decision to make.”
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.—a key Biden ally and former member of the House Democratic leadership—said he would support Harris as the Democratic nominee, and while he has not called on Biden to step down, he told MSNBC earlier this month the Democratic party should “bolster” its support behind Harris (Clyburn previously floated the idea of a “mini primary” to determine the party nominee).
Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., joined the growing list of Democrats urging Biden to step aside Friday as concerns mount over his advanced age and mental acuity following last month’s debate, arguing Harris should take his place with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, CNN’s Manu Raju reported.
Former Rep. Tim Ryan, D, Ohio, endorsed Harris to replace Biden in a Newsweek op-ed, calling Harris is the party’s “best path forward,” lauding the vice president’s public address at the time of Biden’s debate a “ray of light in the darkness” and slamming “those who questioned her chops over the past several years” (Harris has faced criticism over her past views on criminal justice and a lackluster approval ratings).
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., called on Biden to drop out of the race in a Washington Post op-ed, arguing Biden “created a deep bench that can defeat Trump,” and pitching Harris as a “capable, proven leader” among “other electable, young, energizing Democratic governors and senators in swing states.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.—who has not publicly called on Biden to step down—said in private conversations he believes Harris should be the Democratic nominee, sources close to him told The Washington Post.
Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist, outspoken Biden supporter and MSNBC host, has recently suggested he favors Harris as a potential nominee, calling her “better than any of the names that have been floated out there.”
TANGENT
Other congressional Democrats who have called on Biden to drop out have cushioned their language about a potential replacement nominee, with some asking him to “pass the torch,” without naming Harris, including Rep. Adam Schiff of California, Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona, Rep. Brad Schneider of Illinois, Rep. Hillary Scholten of Michigan, Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, Rep. Mike Levin of California. Meanwhile, Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., called on Biden to “be a bridge to a new generation of leaders.”
CONTRA
Harris has remained mum on the idea of replacing Biden and has publicly stuck by the 81-year-old president even as Democrats urge him to step down following his disastrous debate performance last month and as speculation builds of a potential Harris ticket with another Democrat. But she has expressed interest in the presidency before, running in the 2020 Democratic primary, though as her primary polling numbers waned, she dropped out of the race, soon to become Biden’s pick as running mate.
HOW DOES HARRIS POLL AGAINST TRUMP?
Harris trails Trump 45%-47% in a CNN/SSRS poll released earlier this month, narrowly ahead of Biden in a head-to-head match with Trump (Biden trailed Trump 43%-49% in that poll), though she out-performed six other potential Biden alternatives in a hypothetical match against Trump, according to the CNN poll. Harris also trailed Trump 48%-51% in a YouGov poll conducted this week, while Biden fell behind Trump 41%-43% in that poll. A majority of Democrats also see her as a viable option to replace Biden, with roughly 60% in an AP-NORC poll saying Harris would do a good job as president, compared to 20% who said she would not.
WHO WOULD BE HARRIS’ RUNNING MATE IF SHE RUNS?
Among speculated running mates are California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, though Newsom has repeatedly defended Biden and denied his intention to replace him. One other speculated vice presidential pick is North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who campaigned with Harris earlier this month, as well as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
KEY BACKGROUND
Harris is the first woman and the first Black and South Asian person to serve as vice president—and Sharpton said to NBC he has “no doubt” people who try to push her aside as Biden’s successor would have “racist and misogynist” motives. Harris, a former San Francisco prosecutor, came into the public spotlight as California’s Attorney General, a position she held for six years from 2011 to 2017 before successfully running for California’s Senate seat to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer. As senator, Harris became a staunch critic of Trump, harshly opposing his 2017 order to bar citizens from Muslim-majority countries into the U.S., and the Trump administration’s family separation policy at the U.S.-Mexico border. In the Senate, Harris served on the committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Judiciary and the Budget, using her position to question former Attorney General William Barr’s summary of Robert Mueller’s report into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, as well as then-appointee Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing.
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