2024 election updates: Manchin the latest to call on Biden to end reelection bid

More Democrats called for Biden to bow out of the race.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, Meredith Deliso, and Leah Sarnoff
Last Updated: July 21, 2024, 9:06 AM EDT

President Joe Biden faced a critical point in his reelection bid as Democratic calls for him to exit the 2024 race continued to mount despite his efforts to shut them down.

A poor debate performance against Donald Trump in June reignited questions about Biden's age and fitness to carry out his campaign and serve another four years. While Biden defiantly insisted he was staying the course, he later announced on July 21 that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.

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Here's how the news is developing:
Jul 19, 2024, 12:07 PM EDT

3rd Democratic senator calls on Biden to step aside

Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, became the third sitting Democratic senator to call on Biden to end his reelection bid.

Heinrich said in a statement Friday, "this moment in our nation's history calls for a focus that is bigger than any one person," citing a possible Trump victory.

"By passing the torch, [Biden] 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," he added.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

Jul 19, 2024, 11:32 AM EDT

4 more Democratic House members call on Biden to step aside

A group of four House Democrats -- Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif.; Marc Veasey, D-Texas; Chuy Garcia, D-Ill.; and Mark Pocan, D-Wis. -- released a joint statement Friday calling on President Biden to step aside and end his campaign.

"Democrats have a deep and talented bench of younger leaders, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, who you have lifted up, empowered, and prepared for this moment,” the group of lawmakers wrote in their letter.

Pocan and Huffman are part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Pocan recently campaigned with Biden in Wisconsin.

Garcia is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Veasey is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and its first member to call on Biden to step aside.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

Jul 18, 2024, 9:16 PM EDT

Pelosi privately says Biden is more receptive to calls to leave candidacy, sources say

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has privately told some House Democrats she believes President Biden is more receptive to hearing calls for him to step aside and that those conversations could push him to make a decision soon, according to two people familiar with the conversations.

Biden, however, has publicly insisted he has already made his decision and it is to stay in the race.

This comes as a slew of top Democratic leaders have come out to publicly ask the President to not run for re-election.

Jul 18, 2024, 9:00 PM EDT

Sen. Jon Tester calls on Biden not to seek another term

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., called on President Joe Biden not to seek another term in a statement Thursday, saying, "I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong."

Sen. Jon Tester, speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 2, 2023.
Andrew Harnik/AP

"While I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term," Tester said.