Why Democrats will stoically support Biden in 2024
Reactions to Biden's re-election bid from within his party have ranged from riled up to resigned


After months, if not years, of speculation over his political future, President Biden is tossing his cap over the wall and formally announced that he will run for a second term in the White House in 2024. Although the timing of Biden's campaign launch has been as much a matter of political expediency as it is a question of personal preference for the candidate, it is hardly a surprise, with the president earlier this month confirming to NBC's Al Roker that he is indeed "planning on running."
Even so, the announcement transitions Biden's campaign into a new, more public, more scrutinized phase; persistent questions about whether Biden should be a candidate now give way to a broader conversation about Biden as a candidate.
'I'm not opposed. I'm not excited.'
Record-breaking 2020 election margins notwithstanding, another Biden campaign launch is "a rollout that many Democrats are greeting more with a sense of stoicism than enthusiasm," The New York Times' Shane Goldmacher noted in a recent exploration of the party's mixed feelings about 2024.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Regardless of the reservations, regardless of the worry that he is getting up there in age ... when his counterpart is almost as old as he is but is so opposite of what this country deserves, then it's a no-brainer," Democratic party strategist Maria Cardona told Goldmacher. Cardona, also a member of the Democratic National Committee, highlighted one of Biden's biggest challenges — his age — as well as one of his biggest assets: the prospect of a second Trump presidency.
Nearly all the Democrats interviewed by The Washington Post indicated they "would vote for Biden in a general election," even though "some conceded that, while he was far from their first choice, he might be the best option for the current moment — a contrast to a Republican Party promoting grievance and combativeness."
That mixed reception has been evident in recent polls showing nearly half of Democrats want Biden to run again — an uptick from just 37 percent this past January. "A total of 81 percent of Democrats say they would at least probably support Biden in a general election if he is the nominee," The Associated Press noted after its latest poll.
"I think my view is like, I'm not opposed. I'm not excited," Philadelphia-area Democratic councilwoman Shannon Baudoin-Rea told the Post. "Will I vote for him? Absolutely. Will I campaign for him? Of course."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
"Am I, like, thrilled? Am I, like, giddy to see him run again?" she added. "No."
'Priorities that had been unachieved for decades'
Among Biden's most prominent backers, particularly those in Congress, proof of his re-election strength is in his presidential pudding. "I feared after the 2020 election that it would be impossible for Biden to govern with the thinnest of majorities in the House and Senate," Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) told the Times. "Instead, Biden has been on a legislative tear, tackling Democratic priorities that had been unachieved for decades."
"Nothing unites like success," added Swalwell, who ran against Biden in the 2020 primaries.
"Biden has the kind of record that leads to re-election," Washington Monthly's Matthew Cooper concluded this week. "Yes, his age is unprecedented, but so would losing with his record."
That record, including the party's surprisingly strong showing in the 2022 midterms, has buoyed some lawmakers' hopes that a second Biden campaign could build on the down-ticket electoral gains of the past few cycles. "In those 18 districts that are held by Biden Republicans, he's the best [candidate] in terms of his message and how he approaches this and the coalition that he built in 2020 coming back even stronger in 2024," New Hampshire centrist Democrat Annie Kuster told The Guardian in early March.
Indeed, for some Democrats, Biden's age and low-key demeanor are reasons to support him for a second term in office. "We need stability," New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D) told the Times. "Biden provides that."
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
SpaceX breaks Starship losing streak in 10th test
speed read The Starship rocket's test flight was largely successful, deploying eight dummy satellites during its hour in space
-
Sudoku medium: August 27, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Sudoku hard: August 27, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
-
Inflation derailed Biden. Is Trump next?
Today's Big Question 'Financial anxiety' rises among voters
-
The census: Why Trump wants a new one
Feature Donald Trump is pushing for a 'Trumpified census' that excludes undocumented immigrants
-
It is 'beyond time for us to seek bipartisan solutions' for Afghanistan
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The push for a progressive mayor has arrived in Seattle
The Explainer Two liberals will face off in this November's election
-
Epstein: A boon for Democrats?
Feature Democrats' push to release the Epstein files splits the GOP, sending the House into an early summer recess
-
NY's Hochul vows response to Texas gerrymander
Speed Read Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised to play ball with redistricting that favors the Democrats
-
Texas Democrats exit state to block redistricting vote
Speed Read More than 51 legislators fled the state in protest of the GOP's plan to redraw congressional districts
-
'Fossil-fired grids have provided a cautionary tale'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day