Marie Gluesenkamp Perez stands outside of her small Portland business, Dean's Car Care, which she owns with her husband on June 30th, 2022. Gluesenkamp-Perez, a democrat, is a candidate for Washington's 3rd Congressional District.
Jenna Deml / OPB
U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat representing Southwest Washington, predicts former president Donald Trump will defeat President Joe Biden this November, following the latter’s performance last week in a nationally televised debate.
However, a spokesperson for Gluesenkamp Perez said that the time has come and gone for Democrats to run a different candidate. Biden is expected to be officially declared the nominee next month.
“There was a time for a serious primary challenge — and that didn’t take place,” spokesperson Phil Gardner told OPB.
Gluesenkamp Perez’s assertions forecast a dire general election for Democrats. She is seeking reelection in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District and is polling at a virtual tie with pro-Trump Republican Joe Kent, according to a June poll from Northwest Progressive Institute. Trump won the district in 2020.
The Democrat from Skamania County, Washington, told KATU News she could only watch last week’s debate for “five very painful minutes” before turning it off. Biden’s performance, which included several verbal stumbles and uncomfortable pauses, has led numerous Democrats to agonize if the 81-year-old is fit for a second term.
“We all saw what we saw. You can’t undo that. And the truth, I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump,” Gluesenkamp Perez told the TV news station. “I know that’s difficult, but I think the damage has been done by that debate.”
Related: Poll: Southwest Washington’s 3rd District congressional race in a dead heat
Nationally, her colleagues have been reluctant to push for Biden to step aside, though the New York Times reported Wednesday that some House lawmakers have started to become more vocal on the issue.
Gluesenkamp Perez is not worried Biden’s debate performance will impact her, Gardner said. She narrowly won her seat against Kent, who had Trump’s endorsement. Her win was widely considered a major upset.
“She has always said, even from last campaign, that she’s not here to be a cheerleader for any political party or president,” Gardner said. “She doesn’t take marching orders from the White House or President Biden.”
When asked if Gluesenkamp Perez would support Biden stepping down, Gardner declined to say.
“Her job is to represent Southwest Washington in Congress. She’s not a Democratic Party campaign strategist,” Gardner said.
Gluesenkamp Perez has been publicly distancing herself from the president lately. She launched her first television ad of this election cycle touting how she’s bucked her party. She voted against Biden’s student loan repayment plans and urged the president to more aggressively police the country’s southern border.