Vulnerable New York Democrat Pat Ryan calls on Biden to withdraw from race

Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) became the eighth House Democrat to call on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race on Wednesday, as the dam slowly begins to bend over the president’s political future.

Ryan, the only vulnerable Democrat in New York said in a post to X that Biden is “no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump.”

“Trump is an existential threat to American democracy; it is our duty to put forward the strongest candidate against him,” Ryan said.

“For the good of our country, I am asking Joe Biden to step aside — to deliver on his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders,” Ryan added.

Ryan’s call for Biden to withdraw from the race was first reported by the New York Times in a phone interview with the congressman. He told the outlet he’d be doing a “grave disservice” if he said Biden was the best candidate to serve in November and said “for the good of our country, for my two young kids,” Biden should step aside as the Democratic nominee.

“I really hope, with all my heart, that he will listen,” Ryan added.

The vulnerable Democrat joins Reps. Raul Grijalva (D- AZ), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Angie Craig (D-MN), Adam Smith (D-WA), and Mikie Sherril (D-NJ) in calling for Biden to step aside and allow the party to choose a new nominee after the president’s lackluster debate performance on June 27.

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Sherrill and Ryan are the only two House Democrats so far to call on Biden to withdraw from the race since the Democratic conference met on Tuesday to discuss the president’s candidacy. Most members emerged from the meeting silent or solely saying that Biden will be the nominee. Some said there was mostly unity in the room, while others said the caucus is “not even in the same book.”

A fellow New Yorker, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), reversed course on Tuesday after originally joining the group of House Democrats calling for Biden to step aside. He said that though he still has concerns, they are “beside the point” and Biden is “going to be our nominee, and we all have to support him.”