Pacific Northwest politicians weigh in on President Biden’s dropout from 2024 race

President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 election is reverberating across the nation and the Pacific Northwest’s political world.

The news comes a little less than a month before the Democratic National Convention is scheduled to begin in Chicago.

Here’s how Pacific Northwest politicians reacted:

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said in a statement to OPB: “I’ve been proud to work with President Biden on a record of Democratic successes these past 3 1/2 years that includes historic wins over Big Pharma, and major gains in the fights against both wealthy tax cheats and the climate crisis.” He added: “History will judge well those landmark achievements. I’m all in to support Vice President Harris with all my energy to go forward building on that impressive record and defeating Donald Trump – a convicted felon who wants to yank America backward with his checkered and erratic past of right-wing extremism on women’s health care, dirty energy and more.”

Oregon’s other U.S. senator, Jeff Merkley, offered similar praise for the political accomplishments during Biden’s term as president.

“No president in my lifetime has done more than Joe Biden. He’s achieved historic successes in investments in American manufacturing, renewable energy, and infrastructure, strengthened our security, and repaired relationships around the world,” Merkley wrote in a statement. “Throughout decades of public service, President Biden has led with humility and compassion, with a laser-focus on making life better for ordinary Americans. I am grateful to have worked with him to serve the people and stand up to the powerful, and respect today’s decision that positions us to protect the programs he’s championed. This election is between democracy and autocracy. I stand with a vision that commits to strengthening all Americans’ well-being.”

U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, a Springfield Democrat, released a statement Sunday afternoon. “Joe Biden has been the most pro-union President in my lifetime and the only President to walk a picket line with striking workers. He is a kind and decent man who always put this country first, and today he did so again because he knows how much is at stake in this election,” the statement read in part. Hoyle also said she was “proud” to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid to secure the nomination.

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer was the first member of the Oregon congressional delegation to call on Biden to step aside as the nominee last week.

In a statement released Sunday he said “Today, President Joe Biden cemented his legacy in American history as the greatest president in the last 50 years. He made the right decision to spend the remainder of his presidency implementing his landmark achievements rather than fighting a campaign against Donald Trump. I am encouraged that President Biden can devote his full attention to this work. Now, we must refocus our efforts on defending our democracy and defeating Trump in November.”

As a chorus of House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson called on the president to resign, Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer voiced concerns that the president is “unfit to carry out the demanding responsibilities that come with being the leader of the free world.”

“If he’s unable to run for reelection, he shouldn’t be making day-to-day decisions that impact our national security,” she said in a statement Sunday afternoon.

U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas praised Biden on the social media app X as “a faithful public servant who has delivered on his promise to restore stability and rebuild the middle class.”

“As we enter this unprecedented moment in history, we must stand together in our common goal of defeating Donald Trump and his extreme agenda,” Salinas wrote. “This is not a choice between Republican or Democrat. It’s a choice between democracy and authoritarianism.”

In a statement posted to X, Rep. Janelle Bynum, who is running for Congress, thanked the president for his “tireless work and dedication to our country.”

“In the midst of crisis, this administration created the strongest economy in the world and lifted up the middle class.”

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, who stood by Biden’s continued candidacy after attending a virtual meeting with the president early this month, also posted a statement to X.

“I thank President Biden for his decades of leadership and his steadfast dedication to make life better for working families,” Kotek wrote. “Oregon, and the whole country, are so much better off today – safer, healthier, and more secure – because of Joe Biden’s years of service.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici became the first Democrat in Oregon’s congressional delegation to explicitly endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the new presidential nominee, a step Biden also took Sunday.

“I thank Joe Biden for his many years of exemplary service, and am grateful to have worked together during his very productive years as President of the United States,” Bonamici said in a statement. “Now we must move forward and come together as a country to help Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.”

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington said her party needed a new leader that could deliver on the accomplishments that Biden achieved during his single term in office.

“The Democratic Party needs a standard bearer who can deliver our economic message — continuing the historic accomplishment of building more economic opportunities for working class people and a focus on lowering costs,” Cantwell said. “President Biden led our nation to accomplish these historic victories. Just like our party’s victories on Social Security, Medicare, and family leave, Biden’s policies on infrastructure, manufacturing, and lowering drug costs will be tremendous legacies.”

U.S. Rep Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat who flipped Washington’s 3rd Congressional District and is preparing for the state’s primary election on Aug. 6, did not offer her views on what should be next after Biden’s departure.

“My prayers are with the President and his family. I’m sure this was not an easy decision for him to make, and I believe he made it with the national interest in mind,” Gluesenkamp Perez stated. “My job is to represent everyone in Southwest Washington, and most of them do not have confidence in the President’s fitness to serve. They deserve to have their confidence restored.”

KLCC contributed to this story.

This is a developing story and will be updated.