By Democrat Joe Biden has dropped out of the presidential race.
He announced that he won’t seek reelection in a letter issued the afternoon of Sunday, June 21.
Biden
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,” he wrote in the letter.
The news comes as members of his party have called for him to step aside, especially after a rough performance in a debate with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Concerns about Biden’s ability to beat Trump in November have not gone away since.
Biden is first president to drop out of reelection bid since LBJ
Biden is the first president to drop out of a reelection bid since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.
Democrats will now have to select a new candidate during their party convention Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
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Biden threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my vice president. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made,” he said shortly after announcing he is dropping out of the race, according to national media reports. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”