These are the Democrats calling for Biden to step aside

President Joe Biden's reelection strategy seemed simple: keep the race focused on Donald Trump's many flaws and weaknesses to present voters with a choice between chaos and stability. But following the president's disastrous debate performance in late June, Biden has instead been forced to defend himself against growing concerns over his advanced age and mental acuity which threaten to derail his campaign. 

While some of the attacks on Biden's fitness for office can be attributed to partisan electioneering by Trump and his MAGA base, an increasing number of Democrats have also begun publicly calling for someone else at the top of their ticket come Election Day. Although Biden has steadfastly vowed to continue running against Trump, his repeated insistence that he is fit for another four years in office has done nothing to quell dissent from within his party. 

These are the Democrats who have said publicly what many others are reportedly saying behind closed doors: Joe Biden must step down as the Democratic presidential nominee. 

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Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) 

Acknowledging that Biden's "first commitment has always been to our country, not himself," Doggett, who has represented his Austin-area district for nearly three decades, became the first sitting Democrat to publicly call for the president to "make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw" from the race. 

"I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson,” Doggett said. "Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same."

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.)

Democrats have an "opportunity to look elsewhere," said Rep. Grijalva in an interview with The New York Times shortly after Doggett broke the ice for Democratic dissent. Biden should "shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race." However, if Biden remains the Democratic candidate, "I'm going to support him," Grijalva said. 

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)

Biden should "follow in one of our founding father, George Washington's footsteps," said Moulton in an interview with Boston's WBUR radio. He should "step aside to let new leaders rise up," because defeating Trump is ultimately "what's most important." Moulton's statement was "indeed a formal call for Biden to go," Communications Director Sydney Simon later confirmed to CNN. 

Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.)

Biden's "legacy is set," said Quigley in an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes. Now he needs to "cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe" by stepping down to "let someone else do this."

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Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) 

Directly attributing her doubts about Biden's candidacy to the president's poor debate performance, Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig said in a statement that she did "not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump" and called on her party to "select a new nominee to inspire and unite our great nation." With her call for a new candidate, Craig became the "first swing-district House Democrat to try to nudge Biden out," Axios said. 

Former lawmakers and party notables

Beyond current elected officials, there have been several former Democratic lawmakers and key party figures who have also called for Biden to step aside. Among them are: 

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro 

Although Biden is a "good man and has been a good president" his debate performance "disturbingly demonstrated that he is unable to effectively prosecute the case against Donald Trump," said Castro on X. 

Former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) 

Biden's promise to be a "bridge President" to a new generation of leadership "collapsed" during the debate, said Ryan in a Newsweek op-ed. "The Democratic Nominee in 2024 should be Kamala Harris."

Former Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-Ga.) 

As demonstrated during the debate, Biden does not have the "mental or physical stamina for four more years of one of the most demanding jobs on Earth," Bourdeaux said in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It's no one’s fault, and it's not fair. But life isn't fair. And the best path forward is an intentional and organized process to select another Democratic nominee to beat Trump."