Sen. Heinrich calls for Biden to step aside

United States Sen. Martin Heinrich called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential campaign Friday morning.

Heinrich said Biden should step aside to give Democrats a better chance of defeating former President Donald Trump in the November election.

Heinrich is the third Democratic United States senator to publicly call on Biden to step down, following Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Peter Welch of Vermont. House Democrats are also imploring Biden to get out of the race.

“Joe Biden is one of the most accomplished presidents in modern history,” Heinrich said. “He has led our nation through unprecedented challenges with unwavering dedication and profound integrity. His years of service have made a lasting impact on the lives of countless Americans.”

Despite the praise, Heinrich said the November election is too important to risk.

“However, this moment in our nation’s history calls for a focus that is bigger than any one person,” Heinrich said. “The return of Donald Trump to the White House poses an existential danger to our democracy. We must defeat him in November, and we need a candidate who can do that.”

Heinrich has served as a U.S. senator since 2013 and is on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

He is facing Republican Nella Domenici for his seat in November.

Heinrich said while the choice to withdraw is up to Biden, it’s best for the country for the president to remove himself.

“While the decision to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is in the best interests of our county for him to step aside,” Heinrich said. “By passing the torch, he would secure his legacy as one of our nation’s greatest leaders and allow us to unite behind a candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump and safeguard the future of our democracy.”