As more Democrats defect, prominent New Yorkers voice their support for Biden

As calls for President Joe Biden to withdraw his candidacy for re-election grew louder on Friday, the commander-in-chief also received public support from several high-ranking New Yorkers.

In an Instagram live feed, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said people were “underestimating” Biden and advocated keeping the Biden-Harris ticket intact. “I have not seen an alternative scenario that I believe does not put us in tremendous danger,” she said.

The Bronx congresswoman and progressive figure also warned that if Biden resigns, it might not be easy to find a successor, blaming what she called the “donor class” and the “elites” for the issue.

“If you think there is a consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to resign that they will support Vice President (Kamala) Harris, you are wrong,” she said.

Also on Friday, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called Biden a “great presidential candidate” at an event with Governor Kathy Hochul.

“He can beat Trump. He’s going to kick his ass. And we’re all in,” she said.

Earlier this week, ABC News reported that House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn had suggested to Biden in a private meeting that he should withdraw his candidacy for re-election, citing fears that Biden could lose by such a large margin and harm the Democrats in subsequent elections.

On Friday, however, Jeffries publicly sided with the president, albeit with some potential leeway.

“I believe he has the vision, the ability, the capacity and the track record to make the case to the American people that will help us win in November,” Jeffries said. “We have a ticket now. And we’re going to support that ticket because there’s too much at stake right now.”

Dem-Leader @hakeemjeffries on the presidential election campaign this morning:@JoeBiden has “the ability, the capacity and the track record to make the case to the American people that will help us succeed in November.”

“We have a ticket at the moment. And we will support that ticket.” pic.twitter.com/sDVjBlL2To

— Kevin Frey (@KevinFreyTV) July 19, 2024

The cracks in the Democrats’ dam grew larger, and more and more members of Congress joined the chorus publicly calling for Biden to resign, bringing the total number of members to over 30.

Among those now joining the list are Senator Sherrod Brown, who faces a difficult re-election campaign in Ohio, and Representative Zoe Lofgren, a close ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

So far, only one New Yorker on Capitol Hill – Rep. Pat Ryan, who represents a contested seat in the Hudson Valley – has publicly called on Biden to drop out of the race. He did so last week.

Friday’s new defections come as Biden remains at home in Delaware, still recovering from COVID. In a statement, Biden said he looks forward to returning to the campaign trail next week.

If Biden were to step down, it’s not entirely clear who would replace him. At least one Democratic official in New York told Spectrum News that a younger, fresh face could generate excitement and also potentially help in competitive lower-ballot races across the state.