A Michigan House Democrat said Tuesday President Joe Biden’s poor debate performance and insistence on continuing to run as the Democratic nominee could put at risk several national races in Michigan as well as the Democrats’ state House majority.
In a lengthy social media thread Tuesday, state Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids, said the 81-year-old president should “pass the torch to a new generation of leaders” and noted the risk for Michigan Democrats down ballot if Biden refused to step aside.
The state has a few tight congressional races, a competitive U.S. Senate race and the entire state House — where Democrats hold a slim 56-54 majority — on the ballot, Skaggs noted.
“A collapse at the top of the ticket will seriously endanger a dozen of my colleagues,” Skaggs said. “I don’t want to see my friends lose. We have more work to do together to rebuild Michigan.”
Skaggs’ post appears to be the first from a Democratic state lawmaker openly calling for Biden to step aside. State Rep. Noah Arbit, D-West Bloomfield called earlier this month to “replace Biden,” arguing he was “completely ill-suited for the task at hand.” Biden has repeatedly said he will not step aside.
Skaggs’ statement came two days after Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel posted a cryptic message on social media praising U.S. national women’s soccer team athlete Alex Morgan for how she handled the news that she would not be participating in the Olympics for the first time in years.
The post was believed by many Democrats to be a direct reference to calls for Biden to step aside.
“I adore Alex Morgan,” Nessel wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “One of the greatest of all time. But she’s aged significantly from her prime playing days & gracefully accepted that in order to win the gold it was time to pass the baton.
“No one will ever forget her incredible accomplishments,” Nessel continued. “But Alex just wants what’s best for the team and for America. That’s what makes her a true champion.”
Nessel and her spokeswoman didn’t respond to requests for an explanation about the tweet.
The social media posts came as Biden continues to face scrutiny over his age and a poor June 27 debate performance against Republican former President Donald Trump in which the Democratic president was soft spoken, trailed off frequently and was, at times, incoherent. Biden has insisted he will remain the nominee, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who’s been floated as a possible replacement, has reiterated her support for Biden.
“He has my full support,” Whitmer said of Biden during a Tuesday morning interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Later in the day, on MSNBC’s “Alex Wagner Tonight,” Whitmer acknowledged the “debate did not go well” for Biden but said the president has made it clear he won’t exit the race.
Whitmer said fellow Democrats need to “stop wringing our hands and roll up your sleeve” in order to prevail in the November elections.
“We got a lot of work to do but we are capable of meeting this moment,” Whitmer said.
Several top Michigan Democrats will miss the Biden rally that his campaign is planning for Detroit on Friday, including Whitmer — who is traveling for her book tour — and Nessel, who is also going to be out of town, according to their offices.
More: Biden tells Hill Democrats he won’t step aside amid party drama and ‘it’s time for it to end’
More: The White House faces many questions about Biden’s health and medical history. Here are some answers
Only two members of Michigan’s Democratic congressional delegation have so far confirmed their plans to attend the rally: U.S. Reps. Haley Stevens of Birmingham and Shri Thanedar of Detroit.
Both have issued statements in recent days reaffirming their support for Biden as the party nominee. Stevens told The Detroit News that she’s helping to organize the Friday event.
“This morning I woke up more motivated than ever to re-elect the Biden Harris ticket. I trust our President and know he is the one to finish the job,” Stevens tweeted.
Michigan Republicans have been swift to capitalize on the instability within the Democratic Party.
“Democrats are imploding nationally and statewide,” said state Rep. Bill G. Schuette, a Midland Republican and chairman for the House Republican Campaign Committee. “Regardless if they nominate Biden or dump him, Republicans will win the White House and state House because frail Democrat policies are failing Michigan.”
Republicans are targeting several state House seats currently held by Democrats, including in Skaggs’ 80th District in suburban Grand Rapids. State Rep. John Fitzgerald, a first-term Democrat from Grand Rapids, will face former Republican state Rep. Tommy Brann in November, pitting the two familiar names against each other in a race House Democrats can’t afford to lose.
Skaggs in his social media thread indicated the possibility of Trump retaking the White House was too dire to risk having Biden remain the Democratic nominee.
Democrats “must be the party that puts the interests of the nation above the ambitions of any individual,” Skaggs said.
“As much as we focus on the national stakes, the impact of Biden staying on the ballot does not only affect him and the presidency,” Skaggs said. “Any decline in voter enthusiasm will lead to serious turnout problems, which will impact candidates up and down the ballot.”
Arbit, in a post July 1, said the Democratic Party needed “a new nominee and a new strategy — fast.”
“Our way of life hangs in the balance,” Arbit said. “Do not tell me to calm down and do not tell me how much Biden has done.”
Michigan House Democrat says Biden candidacy puts state seats at risk #Michigan #House #Democrat #Biden #candidacy #puts #state #seats #risk
Source Link: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2024/07/09/joe-biden-debate-performance-michigan-house-democrats-campaign-dana-nessel-phil-skaggs-legislature/74336821007/
Michigan House Democrat says Biden candidacy puts state seats at risk – #WP10 – BLOGGER
A Michigan House Democrat said Tuesday President Joe Biden’s poor debate performance and insistence on continuing to run as the Democratic nominee could put at risk several national races in Michigan as well as the Democrats’ state House majority. In a lengthy social media thread Tuesday, state Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids, said the …
A Michigan House Democrat said Tuesday President Joe Biden’s poor debate performance and insistence …
