Rep. Mark Takano calls on Biden to exit race, pass the torch to Harris

• Rep. Mark Takano publicly urged President Biden to drop out of the race against Donald Trump, and instead allow Vice President Kamala Harris to helm the ticket.
• Takano is the thirty-sixth Capitol Hill Democrat to officially call on Biden to exit the race.
• Biden is still isolating with Covid in Rehoboth Beach, Del., though he is expected to be back on the campaign trail next week.

California Rep. Mark Takano on Saturday publicly urged President Joe Biden to drop out of the race against former President Donald Trump, and instead allow Vice President Kamala Harris to helm the ticket.

Takano is the thirty-sixth Democrat on Capitol Hill to call on Biden to exit the race on the record, though dozens of others have reportedly aired their concerns privately.

"President Biden's greatest accomplishment remains saving democracy in 2020. He can and must do so again in 2024 — by passing the torch to Vice President Harris as the Democratic Party Presidential nominee," Takano said in a statement.

"It has become clear to me that the demands of a modern campaign are now best met by the Vice President, who can seamlessly transition into the role of our party's standard bearer," he said.

Earlier in July, Takano was one of several Democratic committee ranking members who voiced his concerns about Biden's reelection bid in a private meeting with House Democratic leadership.

His Saturday statement officially places him in the growing camp of Democratic lawmakers asking Biden to step aside.

Takano has also positioned himself within the sect of the party that sees Harris as the rightful heir to the top of the ticket, along with the campaign's war chest of at least $91 million. Other Democrats have been angling for an open convention.

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