With just under four months to go until the November election, a handful of congressional Democrats are calling on President Joe Biden to stand down from his reelection bid.

According to multiple reports, over the weekend on a private call with House Democratic leaders, New York Reps. Jerry Nadler and Joe Morelle were among those to argue for the president to step aside.

What You Need To Know

  • With just under four months to go until the November election, a handful of congressional Democrats are calling on President Joe Biden to stand down from his reelection bid

  • According to multiple reports, over the weekend on a private call with House Democratic leaders, New York Reps. Jerry Nadler and Joe Morelle were among those to argue for the president to step aside

  • Spectrum News reached out to every Democrat in the New York congressional delegation, in addition to those running to flip competitive congressional seats

By Tuesday, after Biden sent a letter to congressional Democrats saying he is “firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump," Nadler sought to clarify his thinking.

“He has said he is going to remain in. He’s our candidate, and we’re all going to support him,” Nadler told reporters.

Where do other New York Democrats stand on the question of Biden’s future? Spectrum News reached out to every Democrat in the New York congressional delegation, in addition to those running to flip competitive congressional seats.

These are their responses as of July 9.

While some emphatically backed the president and argued he should remain the party’s standard bearer, others sidestepped questions of whether he should stand down, leaving the door open to the possibility.

Democratic leadership

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries both voiced support for Biden upon returning to the Capitol Monday. 

“I’m for Joe,” Schumer told reporters. 

“I support President Joe Biden and the Democratic ticket. My position has not changed,” Jeffries said. 

Democrats in safe seats

Several Democrats in New York’s safe seats said they back the president, while in some cases not ruling out the possibility of a replacement atop the ticket.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent progressive on Capitol Hill, told reporters she spoke with Biden in recent days and that the “matter is closed.”

“Joe Biden is our nominee ... and I support him,” she said. “What is critically important right now is that we focus on what it takes to win in November, because he is running against Donald Trump, who is a man with 34 felony convictions ... and not a single Republican has asked for Donald Trump to not be the nominee.”

She argued Democrats and the Biden campaign need to pivot to focus on issues that are important to working people, like expanding Medicare and Social Security, and providing rent relief. 

Rep. Adriano Espaillat touted Biden’s record on job growth and capping drug prices, saying in a statement, “I know Joe and have witnessed firsthand the progress we have made since he first took office. He was fit then, and he is fit now, and I remain steadfast in my support.”

Rep. Grace Meng, who is a member of the Biden campaign’s National Advisory Board, has rallied behind the president amid calls for him to step aside. She recently tweeted, “Some of you made your point. Let’s get back to work now. #BidenHarris2024.”

Rep. Dan Goldman, in a statement, argued that it is Biden’s opponent who should be sent packing. 

"Joe Biden has been an outstanding president who has preserved democracy at home and abroad,” he said. “The candidate who should drop out is the twice-impeached, convicted felon who has vowed to destroy our democracy.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Ritchie Torres offered a warning about the potential impact of the week-plus of public fighting among Democrats over Biden’s future, saying the “process by which we decide how to move forward matters as much as the decision itself."

“Those publicly calling on President Biden to withdraw should ask themselves a simple question: what if the President becomes the Democratic nominee? The drip, drip, drip of public statements of no confidence only serve to weaken a President who has been weakened not only by the debate but also by the debate about the debate,” he continued. 

Rep. Gregory Meeks, in an interview, conceded Biden had a horrible debate, but argued Biden proved him wrong in 2020 and said, “I’m not betting against Joe Biden again and I’m going to let him do his thing.”,

Rep. Tim Kennedy’s team referred Spectrum News to comments he made to WBEN last week, where he said, "Biden is the nominee of our party at the moment, and he will be in November. And we're going to back him 100% ... Biden is the only one that has taken on and beaten Donald Trump. And he'll win again."

Rep. Nydia Velazquez said Biden is “our nominee” but said, “we need to provide space for him to make a decision. To talk to friends, family, to us. This is not something I take lightly.”

But, she said, “I would take a bad night to a convicted felon.”

Democrats in competitive seats

New York is home to several competitive congressional seats that could be determine which party controls the U.S. House next year. 

Asked about Biden’s future, several of the Democrats running in these seats sought to make the race about more than just the top of the ticket, while not necessarily engaging with the question of whether Biden should back out.

Rep. Pat Ryan, who is looking to hold onto a competitive congressional seat in New York’s Hudson Valley, argued it is Biden’s opponent who should step aside instead. 

“If there is anyone who should drop out of the Presidential race, it is the convicted felon who tried to overturn the election and wants to criminalize abortion, give more tax breaks to big corporations, and gut Social Security,” he said.

John Avlon, who is trying to unseat Rep. Nick LaLota on Long Island, said, “Panic is not a useful emotion, but neither is denial. We need to be honest: President Biden had a bad debate, but he has a great record. The current deliberations are a sign of a healthy political party - in stark contrast to falling in lockstep and excusing whatever Donald Trump does or says.”

“This election was never going to be won top-down - it will be won from the ground up by building a broad patriotic coalition to defend democracy and solve problems for Suffolk County families,” he continued. 

In a statement, Laura Gillen, running to oust Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, invoked the recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity. 

“More Democrats are even more keenly aware of what an existential threat another Trump presidency could be to our democracy,” she said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen at the top of the ticket, but regardless of what happens there, we need to take back the House to be a bulwark against what could happen if Trump becomes president.”

John Mannion, who is seeking to flip a Syracuse-area seat held by Republican Rep. Brandon Williams, said in a statement that “Biden has earned the nomination and the support of the party.” He argued that under Biden’s leadership, “Central New York is moving forward,” citing investments in infrastructure and semiconductor manufacturing. 

Mondaire Jones, who is looking to return to Congress by ousting Rep. Mike Lawler and in 2022 labeled Biden “the best president in modern American history,” did not engage with the question of whether Biden should lead the 2024 ticket, telling Spectrum News in a statement that “if President Biden is the nominee, I’ll be voting for him.”

Meanwhile, Josh Riley, who is pursuing a rematch against Rep. Marc Molinaro, said, "Most of the voters I talk to wish they had different options, and they want new leadership. They’re not wrong. It’s why I’m focused on winning my race against a 30-year career politician who’s been ripping us off, selling us out, and looking down on us.”

U.S. Senate

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is up for re-election this November and is currently helping co-lead a new coordinated campaign initiative to help flip New York’s competitive congressional districts from red to blue. 

In a statement, she voiced support for the president, saying, “I continue to have confidence in President Biden and his ability to beat Donald Trump this November.”