New Mexico leaders responded to President Joe Biden’s announcement Sunday that he was no longer seeking re-election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a statement shortly after the announcement referring to Biden’s leadership as strong and resolute.
“His stellar record includes guiding Americans out of a deadly pandemic, presiding over a historic economic recovery, and restoring dignity and respect to the Oval Office,” Lujan Grisham said in the statement. “While President Biden is an indisputably great leader, his decision to withdraw from the presidential race at this fraught moment in U.S. history is in the best interest of the Democratic Party and the nation.”
Lujan Grisham ended her statement by saying that she “will do everything in my power to ensure that Donald Trump is denied another four years in the White House.”
In a statement on Monday, Lujan Grisham endorsed Harris.
“With her record of leadership on health care, economic opportunity, gun violence prevention and voting rights, Vice President Harris will quickly mobilize key constituencies of the Democratic coalition, including young voters, Black voters, Hispanic voters and women,” Lujan Grisham said. “I am confident that Vice President Harris will win New Mexico and will win the presidential election this November.”
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, a Democrat, issued a statement Sunday lauding Biden’s leadership during his tenure as president.
“With his decision today to put country over self, the President has secured his legacy. I commend him for his selflessness, honor, and integrity,” Heinrich said in the statement. “From reducing the cost of prescription drugs, expanding health care for veterans, passing historic climate legislation, making once-in-a-generation investments in infrastructure, to securing the most meaningful gun safety measures in three decades, President Biden has left his mark on the greatest nation on earth.”
Heinrich also announced his endorsement Sunday for Harris to run on the November ballot.
“Vice President Kamala Harris is an extraordinary leader with a proven track record of getting things done. As her colleague, I saw her commitment to fighting for working families up close,” Heinrich’s other statement said. “Her experience, vision, and unwavering resolve make her the ideal candidate to unite our party and lead our nation forward. I’m proud to support her candidacy and confident she will bring our country together and build a brighter future for everyone.”
Related: Heinrich, Vasquez call on Biden to withdraw from campaign
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat, also issued a statement about Biden not seeking re-election.
“President Biden has devoted his life to serving the American people and putting working families first. I know President Biden, and I respect him, his character, and his strong leadership. There is no one like him,” Luján said in the statement. “ His legacy will be among the strongest of any American president. I know his decision to step aside was not taken lightly.”
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, a Democrat who represents the state’s 3rd Congressional District, said “New Mexico is energized and grateful to a patriotic President who understood what our country needs right now” and lauded Biden’s record while in office.
She endorsed Harris, saying that she “will bring renewed energy, unity, and vibrancy to this race. She will get the job done.”
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez said “President Biden gave a lifetime of distinguished service to the country we love. I commend the president for his decades of serving working Americans and serving people, not CEOs and corporations. I commend his decision to step out of the race and put his country first.”
The Democrat who represents New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District endorsed Harris, saying, “Vice President Kamala Harris is the leader who can bridge the divide in our country and move our nation forward.”
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury said in a statement, “I stand with and support President Biden in every possible way, including his decision today. As one of the most significant Presidents in American history, I am grateful for everything President Biden and the Biden-Harris Administration have done for the United States, the people of New Mexico and the world.”
New Mexico Senate Republicans issued a statement from Senate Republican Leader Senator Greg Baca, R-Belen, Senate Republican Whip Senator Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, and Senate Republican Caucus Chair Mark Moores R-Albuquerque, calling Biden “unfit.”
“Everyone has known for months that President Biden is unfit for office, but it wasn’t until his polling took a dive that the Democrat elites decided to push him out. For all their talk of ‘threats to democracy,’ they now have no problem undoing the will of their voters in this desperate attempt to keep power,” the Senate Republican said in the statement. “Whoever the Democrats choose, they will face a united Republican Party under President Donald Trump. Our future is bright and it is clear that Republicans hold the answers to a stronger, safer, and more prosperous America.”
A YouGov poll released shortly after Biden announced the end of his re-election campaign showed 49 percent of those polled strongly approved the decision, 22 percent somewhat approved it, 7 percent somewhat disapproved of the decision and 9 percent strongly disapproved of it with 12 percent unsure.
This situation is yet another unfamiliar road in a pathbreaking election cycle with Biden stepping down weeks before the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19-22.
To secure the nomination, Harris or another potential candidate would have to secure nearly 4,000 of 4,700 delegates at the DNC including 700 superdelegates. These superdelegates include some elected officials, former presidents and vice presidents and party leaders.