President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he would no longer seek reelection, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris on social media to be this year’s Democratic Party nominee. Biden’s announcement comes less than four months before the presidential election and follows calls from multiple legislators to step down.
A recent AP-NORC poll also indicates a growing lack of faith in Biden’s ability to win in November, showing 65% of Democrats stating he should leave the race. The poll was taken after Biden’s June 27 debate performance and was mostly completed before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
In his statement posted to social media, President Biden cited multiple achievements from his time in office, thanked the American people and reiterated his commitment to fulfilling his duties through the remainder of his term.
Though Harris has been endorsed by former administration officials and multiple members of the House since the announcement, no official replacement for the Democratic Party ticket has been named. The Democratic National Convention, where an official party nominee will be named and nominated by delegates, is currently scheduled to begin Aug. 19.