By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
ALBANY – After the news broke Sunday that President Joe Biden was exiting the 2024 presidential race, reactions from local and state officials came pouring in.
Biden’s decision to suspend his re-election campaign came after weeks of pressure from Democratic lawmakers at the national level to exit the race following a poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump in late June.
Biden announced his decision in a letter penned to the American people in which Biden cited his accomplishments in office but said moving forward he would focus his attention on completing the remainder of his term in office.
He also endorsed his former running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris. The Democratic presidential candidate is not yet known and may be determined at the Democratic National Convention in August.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote. “And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro, a Republican, released a statement following Biden’s announcement Sunday.
“This was the right thing to do for the country,” Molinaro said. “In my race, nothing has changed. Josh Riley has always been one of the strong supporters of the Biden-Harris agenda and New Yorkers are less safe because of the border crisis they created. President Biden may not be running, but his failed policies are and voters will hold Josh Riley accountable.”
U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, a Democrat, had not released a statement at press time.
State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, a Democrat, praised Biden’s service to the nation.
“President Biden will go down in history as one of the best, most transformative Presidents America has ever had,” Hinchey said. “His ability to bring our nation together through some of our darkest days during the pandemic was inspiring, and his commitment to working across the aisle to center American progress and opportunity is something all elected officials should learn from and aspire to.”
Hinchey called Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race “another example of his commitment to put country over self.”
Assemblyman Chris Tague, a Republican, took another tack, expressing disappointment with the Democratic Party and claiming “they’ve only now come to grips with the reality of the situation: Joe Biden is unfit to serve another four years in office.”
While Biden’s successor on the ticket had not yet been decided, Tague came out against a Kamala Harris candidacy.
“Americans know they can’t afford another four years of the Biden administration, and while he has already endorsed her, know that a Kamala Harris presidency would mean more of the same problems we’ve been dealing with,” Tague said. “Cost of living, border security, public safety, international turmoil — that’s the future Democrats have promised, no matter who the candidate is.”
Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy, a Democrat, thanked Biden for his service and called for the party to pull together.
“I’d like to thank President Biden for his many years of dedicated service to our country,” McCoy said in a statement. “As we move forward, let’s unite behind a candidate who can continue his legacy and bring our nation together.”