President Joe Biden is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor just four months before the election.
The unprecedented move comes after weeks of mounting pressure in the media and from within the Democratic Party following the 81-year-old's widely-panned June debate performance. Biden's age was cited as a concern by party figures and major donors.
A growing number of congressional Democrats called for Biden to drop out of the race, including Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Moline, who represents Peoria, Rockford, the Quad Cities, and Bloomington-Normal in Washington, D.C. His 17th Congressional District is widely believed to be the GOP's best pickup opportunity in Illinois this cycle.
Sorensen on Sunday thanked Biden for his service, and said he believes the best days are ahead.
Gov. JB Pritzker stood by Biden even as other Democrats withdrew their support.
"President Joe Biden has dedicated his life in service to this nation, and its citizens are all the better for it. His is a storied political career culminating in one of the most accomplished and effective presidencies of our lifetime," Pritzker said.
The second-term Democrat said Donald Trump still poses a threat if he returns to the White House, and he will work to ensure Trump doesn't win in November. Pritzker, who has been mentioned as a potential presidential contender, didn't mention Harris in his statement, but also didn't tip his hand on whether he's interested in running now.
Likewise, Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton also didn't immediately endorse Harris in a series of tweets on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
"I look forward to welcoming Democrats to Chicago next month as we come together to chart a path forward to beat Donald Trump this fall," she said.
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, stopped short of calling on Biden to immediately resign, but did say "serious concerns remain" about his ability to serve the next few months in office. But he believes Trump will still win in November.
"No matter who the Democrat Party installs in Chicago next month, Americans are not buying the open-border, soft-on-crime, and out-of-touch policies they are selling," he said.
U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, a far-right Republican representing the 15th Congressional District in central and southern Illinois, claims Harris "led the coverup of Joe Biden's severe cognitive decline."
"'Border Czar' Kamala Harris must answer for the deadly invasion of our southern border and her cover-up of Biden's cognitive decline," Miller said. "The American people deserve to know who is actually running the country right now since the Democrats are finally admitting it is not Joe Biden."
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Sunday that America will be forever grateful for what Biden gave to the country throughout his presidency, saying he worked to put the country back on track and "restore the soul of our nation."
“Now the Democratic Party must unite behind a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump and keep America moving in the right direction. I will do everything in my power to help that effort," Durbin said.
Durbin's colleague, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, echoed similar praises after Biden's announcement.
"From the bottom of my heart, I thank him for his effective and successful leadership and for, once again, putting our country before himself," she said. This difficult decision ensures that Democrats can focus on the goal that unites each and every one of us: defeating Donald Trump and preventing another four years of his destructive chaos and corruption."
The Democrats will formally nominate a presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention. That's happening August 19-22 in Chicago.
Some of the greatest support for keeping Biden in the race actually came from the opposite side of the aisle. On ABC's "This Week" Sunday, House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested Republicans will put up legal challenges if Biden dropped out.
Most polling in recent weeks has shown Biden running behind the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.
