First Democratic senator calls for Biden to drop his re-election bid

WASHINGTON — A new wave of congressional Democrats called for President Joe Biden to step aside in the presidential race Wednesday, including the first Democratic senator to say he should drop out.

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., wrote in The Washington Post that Biden should withdraw "for the good of the country."

"We have asked President Biden to do so much for so many for so long," Welch said in the opinion piece. "It has required unmatched selflessness and courage. We need him to put us first, as he has done before. I urge him to do it now."

Several Democrats in the House have called for Biden to bow out of the race; Welch is the first in the Senate to do so.

Welch, 77, is a fixture in Vermont politics, having served in the House since 2007 before he was elected to the Senate in 2022.

Earlier Wednesday, Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Pat Ryan of New York called for Biden to drop his re-election bid.

The three lawmakers' statements mean 10 congressional Democrats have now publicly called for Biden to step aside.

NBC News has reported that two additional House Democrats told their colleagues that Biden should step aside, though they have not issued public statements.

Reached for comment Wednesday, a campaign official pointed to Biden’s letter Monday to members of Congress, in which he reiterated that he is “firmly committed to staying in this race.”

The official also pointed to public support for Biden from members of Congress, including members from swing states, the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Ryan, a moderate Democrat, said on X that "it is our duty to put forward the strongest candidate against" Trump.

“Joe Biden is a patriot but is no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump.