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WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, and three other congressional Democrats called on President Joe Biden to “pass the torch” and step aside as his party’s nominee.
Fellow Democratic Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Chuy Garcia of Illinois and Mark Pocan joined Veasey in a joint statement Friday morning. Veasey is now the second Democrat from Texas to call on Biden to withdraw, after Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin.
“We must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign,” the statement reads. “We believe the most responsible and patriotic thing you can do at this moment is to step aside as our nominee while continuing to lead our party from the White House.”
In their statement, the members mention a “deep and talented bench of younger leaders, led by Vice President Kamala Harris,” but stop short of explicitly endorsing Harris as Biden’s replacement.
Veasey is notably the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus to make this call publicly. Other members of the caucus, including Reps. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas and Al Green of Houston, have been among Biden’s most steadfast supporters.
Doggett was the first member of Congress to come out publicly against Biden. Roughly two dozen other House Democrats and three U.S. Senators have issued similar public statements in the two weeks since the president’s disastrous debate in June.
Veasey’s statement came amid a particularly turbulent period of the race, just a day after the Republican National Convention adjourned and a week out from an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, who accepted the nomination on Friday. Democrats have grown increasingly worried as Biden continues to slip in polls, while the attempt on Trump’s life has locked in further support for the Republican this November.
Mia Ehrenberg, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, provided a statement that said all Democrats “share the same goal.”
“While the majority of the caucus and the diverse base of the party continues to stand with the President and his historic record of delivering for their communities, we’re clear-eyed that the urgency and stakes of beating Donald Trump means others feel differently,” the statement read.
Veasey, a moderate who has served more than a decade in Congress, had previously been one of the few Texas Democrats to not take an open position on Biden’s candidacy, instead warning other members to “chill a little bit” immediately after the debate. He later told reporters that representatives from battleground districts should feel free to come out against Biden if it would help them get reelected.
“What I said this morning and expressed to my colleagues, particularly from members on the front line, is that I think they need to do whatever it is they need to do in order to come back and be reelected and so if they need to, you know, distance themselves, then that’s what they need to do,” Veasey said a week after the debate.
All four Democrats in Friday’s statement, however, come from safe Democratic seats. Veasey won reelection in 2022 with 72% of the vote.
Veasey’s comments mean just three Democrats from Texas have yet to take a public position: Reps. Henry Cuellar of Laredo, Joaquin Castro of San Antonio and Colin Allred of Dallas punted on the question as he focuses on a tough race against Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Eight other Democrats from Texas have made public comments supportive of Biden.
Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections
When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?
Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.
What’s on the ballot for the general election?
In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
-1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
– 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
– 15 State Senators
– 7 State Board of Education members
– 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
– 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
– 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
– Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
– County Courts at Law
– Justices of the Peace
– District Attorneys
– County Attorneys
– Sheriffs
– Constables
– Tax Assessor-Collectors
How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?
You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.
What if I missed the voter registration deadline?
You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.
If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)
If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.
What can I do if I have questions about voting?
You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State’s helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.
For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.
For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.
For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.
For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.
For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.
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