Philly, PA politicians react to Biden’s decision to leave race

Elected officials from Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania reacted Sunday to President Joe Biden’s decision to not accept his party’s nomination and seek reelection.

Democrats – who dominate city politics – praised the Scranton native for his accomplishments during five decades of public service as a U.S. senator, vice president and president.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has been mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Biden as the party’s presidential nominee or step in as a running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, should she gain top billing. In a statement Sunday, he described Biden as “one of the most consequential presidents in modern history.”

“President Biden has gotten an incredible amount done to move our country forward, defend our democracy, and protect real freedom,” Shapiro added on X, formerly known as Twitter.

U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Democratic representing Philadelphia, said in a social media post that Biden “selflessly put personal ambition aside to do what he thinks is best for our country.”

“Today, and every day, both in dark passages and bright days, I am always proud to be one of Joe Biden’s biggest supporters,” Boyle continued.

Biden and his family have close ties to the region. He lives outside Wilmington, Delaware, less than an hour’s drive from the city, and First Lady Jill Biden grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs.

As president and along the campaign trail, he has often stopped in the city for announcements, speeches and rallies. For the past three years, Biden has volunteered at Philabundance food bank on Martin Luther King Day.

“President Joe Biden worked tirelessly for Philadelphia and delivered on a historic scale,” City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier said in a statement. “He invested billions of dollars into our city’s future.”

Councilmember At-Large Isaiah Thomas noted that the president “has been a fixture in politics for as long as I can remember.” Biden was finishing up his second term in the Senate when Thomas was born.

“To step down in this unprecedented way is courageous, and I respect the President for making a difficult personal decision,” Thomas said in a statement.

Bob Brady, chair of the city’s Democratic party and a former congressman, said he is proud to call Biden a friend.

“For decades he has put our country ahead of himself,” Brady wrote on X. “Together, we will beat Donald Trump in November.”

A few elected leaders, including Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, were early to signal support for Harris, whom Biden immediately endorsed to fill his spot on the ballot.

On the other side of the partisan divide, Republican Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, echoing a national GOP talking point, criticized Democratic leaders for allegedly bypassing primary voters.

“Democrats like to self-style themselves as ‘defenders of democracy,’ yet party elites came together in the shadows to force Joe Biden to drop out and endorse Kamala Harris,” said Garrity, who is seeking reelection in November, in an X post.

“They had four years to find a new nominee,” she added. “Instead, the media and party elites hid from us the truth that Joe Biden was unfit to govern.”