1st senator joins growing calls for Biden to drop out
![](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/78f14f4f-5721-491b-afd4-f1204d24e68e/peter-welch-gty-jt-240710_1720654286833_hpMain.jpg)
Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont called for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race in a Washington Post op-ed published Wednesday evening.
Welch is the first Senate Democrat to officially call for Biden to step aside.
"I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and wants to do it again. But he needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not," Welch wrote.
"I deliver this assessment with sadness. Vermont loves Joe Biden. President Biden and Vice President Harris received a larger vote percentage here than in any other state. But regular Vermonters are worried that he can’t win this time, and they’re terrified of another Trump presidency," he said.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin