Brown becomes 4th Senate Democrat to urge Biden’s exit from race

FILE - Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 22, 2023. Jittery Democrats seeking to hold onto Senate seats are watching the drama over Biden nervously. Even candidates who seem to be in a strong position are walking a fine line between loyalty to the president and their own political survival. Brown has offered little public support for the president since the debate. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
(AP) — Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown became the latest Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to end his campaign for reelection on Friday.
The longtime senator is facing a tough reelection himself in one of several critical states for Democrats if they plan to maintain control of the Senate.
Citing topics like job growth and protecting Social Security, Brown said, “At this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues. I think the President should end his campaign.”
Brown represents a conservative state and is in a competitive race against Republican Bernie Moreno, who is endorsed by former president and current GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Brown’s statement brought the total number of representatives and senators calling for Biden to exit the race Friday to 12.
Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky called Biden an “incredibly effective and empathetic leader,” praising his record on job growth and climate issues. However, he said that the party could not “risk the focus of the campaign being anything other than Donald Trump” and his ilk.
New Mexico Rep. Gabe Vasquez said that while Biden is “an honorable public servant who has dedicated his career to bettering the lives of all Americans,” he believes there is too much at risk in the election and said Biden should “step aside.”
Vasquez is running for a second term in a swing district along the U.S. border with Mexico where partisan control has flipped in each of the last three elections.
But as the chorus of Democratic lawmakers calling for Biden to drop his reelection bid grew, the president insisted he’s ready to return to the campaign trail next week to counter what he called a “dark vision” laid out by Trump.
Biden remained isolated at his beach house in Delaware after being diagnosed with COVID-19. The president, who has insisted he can beat Trump, was huddling with family and relying on a few longtime aides as he resisted efforts to shove him aside.