Riverside Congressman Mark Takano, who’s already called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential campaign, said Saturday that Biden should “pass the torch” to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden has repeatedly rejected calls from a growing number of Democrats in Congress to drop out of the race, brushing off concerns about his age and fitness to withstand the rigors of a national campaign against GOP nominee and former President Donald Trump.
However, reports have surfaced in recent days that the president might be reconsidering his stance as he remains in seclusion in Delaware after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.
“President Biden’s greatest accomplishment remains saving democracy in 2020. He can and must do so again in 2024 – by passing the torch to Vice President Harris as the Democratic Party Presidential nominee,” Takano posted on social media Saturday.
“It has become clear to me that the demands of a modern campaign are now best met by the Vice President, who can seamlessly transition into the role of our party’s standard bearer.
“The daughter of immigrants, a proud HBCU graduate, a tenacious prosecutor, and now the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris is ready for this moment. She has been an invaluable governing partner to the President and can run on their many shared achievements on behalf of the American people,” Takano continued.
“… Joe, I love and respect you. But the stakes are too high to fail. It’s time to pass the torch to Kamala.”
Takano, the ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, first called on Biden to drop out of the race on July 7.
The 63-year-old Riverside native has served in Congress since 2013 and represents the 39th Congressional District, which includes parts of Riverside, Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley and Perris.
If Biden does reverse course and drop out of the race, the Democratic Party would face a rift between those backing Harris and others who favor an open competition at the Democratic National Convention, which will be held in Chicago from Aug. 19-22.
— City News Service