Local officials react to President Biden’s exit from the presidential race – NBC10 Philadelphia

Shortly after posting this letter on social media, he endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris.

Shortly after Biden made his announcement, officials and politicians in the region released statements about the decision.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called the president “a patriot” on social media.

Dave McCormick, a Republican running to defeat Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, used Biden’s decision in a statement as an opportunity to attack his opponent.

“Joe Biden is unfit to serve as commander in chief. Bob Casey is very close to Biden — he knows this — but in typical Casey fashion, he has been weak in refusing to admit to the people of Pennsylvania that Biden is simply not up to the job. Keeping his head down when the going gets tough is who Bob Casey is,” McCormick wrote in a statement.

In contrast, Pennsylvania Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (D-2nd dist.) said in a statement after Biden’s announcement that he was proud to be a Biden supporter.

“President Joe Biden is a patriot. He selflessly put aside his personal ambition to do what he believes is best for our country,” Boyle wrote in a statement. “Today and every day, in both the dark and the bright days, I am always proud to be one of Joe Biden’s strongest supporters.”

Across the Delaware River, New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone (D-6th dist.) issued a statement noting that the president had made a selfless decision.

“President Biden’s decision to step down from the nomination reflects his selflessness as a leader. His legacy of putting his country first is underscored by more than five decades of public service,” Pallone wrote in a statement. “I am grateful for his calm leadership as he took on the most challenging role on the planet, especially after four years of tumult and division sown by Donald Trump. Now, our party must come together to defeat the authoritarian policies of the Republican nominee and ensure that American democracy endures.”

Also in New Jersey, Herb Conaway, the Democratic candidate for Congress in the state’s Third Congressional District, issued a statement on President Biden’s decision to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.

“Joe Biden is a man of integrity, decency, and true public service. In 2020, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris brought us together to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme agenda. And over the past four years, the Biden-Harris administration has delivered historic results for New Jersey on everything from lowering prescription drug costs to investing in our infrastructure to creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs,” Conaway wrote in a statement. “Now, the President’s decision to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders is both courageous and selfless. I look forward to the President continuing to lead our country through the end of his term, and I look forward to strongly supporting our nominee as he takes on Donald Trump and brings us together as Americans to defeat division and extremism.”

Also in New Jersey, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12th dist.) said Biden would be remembered as a “towering figure.”

“History will remember President Biden as a towering figure. A lifelong public servant. A historically successful president. And as a selfless leader who put the greater good of this country above himself,” Watson wrote in a statement. “President Biden’s decision to step aside is a selfless act of patriotism, one in which he put the need to defend democracy above his own personal ambition. It is a stunning act of selflessness that is so often missing from today’s politics. Thank you for all you have done for our country, President Biden.”

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.