President Joe Biden ended his 2024 re-election bid Sunday, writing in a letter posted to social media that serving as President has been “the greatest honor of [his] life.” Biden, 81, is the oldest-ever U.S. president, and ended his campaign after multiple concerns regarding his age and following a “disastrous” debate performance.
President Biden endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to become the party’s nominee. Vice President Harris subsequently announced her presidential campaign. As of July 22, 249 Democrats have endorsed Harris’ campaign, including Senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Governor Maura Healy (D-Mass.). All nine U.S. representatives from Massachusetts have additionally endorsed Harris.
Political Science and International Relations Liaison President Helena Saldivar-Mieres said that there is still “a lot of unknown” regarding the upcoming election in an interview with the Voice, and that it will be an “interesting and weird election cycle.”
“If the Democratic Party wants any form of success, they need to get organized now,” said Saldivar-Mieres. “With the Democratic National Convention (DNC) coming up, that doesn’t leave them a lot of room to squabble for power.”
President Biden is the first president in modern American history to bow out this late in the race; the DNC, where he would have accepted his nomination as the Democratic nominee to face Republican Donald Trump, is being held in Chicago August 19-22.
The Republican National Convention was held in Milwaukee July 15-18 and ended with former President Donald Trump accepting the Republican nomination. Trump will face the Democratic nominee November 5 in hopes of securing a second term.
Madeline Finke, the President of the Simmons University chapter of Democracy Matters, provided the Voice a statement on behalf of the organization, calling President Biden’s decision “monumental.”
Democracy Matters has chapters across the country and is a non-partisan student organization that is dedicated to promoting civic engagement, inspiring students to take action to “expand voting rights, keep big money out of politics, and uplift social justice activism,” according to their mission statement.
“We want to reaffirm our commitments to providing voters reliable information about policies on both sides of the aisle…and continuing our grassroots approach to politics,” continued the statement from Finke. “As always, uplifting and protecting American democracy is our #1 priority.”
Saldivar-Mieres predicts an increase in misogyny and racism, especially toward Vice President Harris. If elected, she will become the first female and Asian-American President of the United States.
“There’s a lot to be nervous for; this is a major election for people because of several reasons,” said Saldivar-Mieres, citing specific issues such as the Middle East and reproductive rights. “Whether or not you agree with a party nominee or if you’re voting uncommitted, vote regardless. State and local politics are where we see the most change…if you’re uncertain about the big picture, vote no matter what.”
UPDATE: 8:48 p.m. July 22, 2024
This article was updated to include politicians from Massachusetts who have endorsed Vice President Harris’ 2024 presidential bid.
