Shocked, disappointed, energized: Voters face a new political landscape as Biden drops out

Voters across the U.S. said they were stunned after President Joe Biden announced that he was dropping his re-election bid, sending the presidential race in an unexpected direction that some embraced and others eyed with concern.

Some Biden supporters who spoke to NBC News on Sunday afternoon said they were disappointed in his decision, while others who had planned to vote for him were energized by the idea that a different candidate could fare better against former President Donald Trump.

“It could be an opportunity for great change or terrible change,” said Jamie Yu, 27, a nurse in Phoenix.

She had been planning to vote for Biden in November, but only because “I don’t want to vote for Donald Trump,” she said. “I don’t want him in office.”

Shortly after he made his announcement on X, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the nominee for the Democratic ticket.

Lauren Adelman-Tomasulo, 66, a Pilates instructor who had planned to vote for Biden for a second time, said she thinks Harris “is going to be strong and get things done.” And she urged the Democratic Party to focus on uniting behind her to beat Trump.

“I think they need to pull themselves together, make decisions quickly and move ahead,” Adelman-Tomasulo said.

But Harris wasn't a choice everyone was rallying around.

In Butler, Pennsylvania, not far from where Trump survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally on July 13, Angela Bost said she thought Harris' gender might stop her from getting votes: “I think a lot of men might not be all right with that.”

And even some who said they would vote for her raised questions about her views and record.

Casey Brett, a Democratic voter from Grand Rapids, Michigan, described Harris as