President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination on Sunday after weeks of reported pressure from Democratic Party leaders following his debate performance in June.
In Pennsylvania, where Biden was born and raised until age 10, elected Democratic officials were quick to praise the president for his career in public service.
Among those was Gov. Josh Shapiro, who pundits have speculated could be a potential vice presidential running mate for Harris against the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance.
“President Biden is a patriot who has served our country honorably in the Senate, as Vice President, and as one of the most consequential presidents in modern history,” Shapiro wrote in a statement on X. “President Biden has gotten an incredible amount done to move our country forward, defend our democracy, and protect real freedom. I am proud to work by his side and am grateful for his leadership and his unwavering commitment to delivering for Pennsylvania — the Commonwealth that raised him.”
Shapiro later added that he would do “everything I can” to help elect Harris, saying that “the best path forward for the Democratic Party” is to unite behind the vice president.
“She has served the country honorably as vice president and is ready to be president,” he wrote.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey offered similar sentiments.
“President Biden has always dedicated himself to improving the lives of Americans. He deserves our gratitude for his historic achievements, including rebuilding our economy after the pandemic and delivering the largest infrastructure investment in modern history,” Casey wrote in a social media post. “He has had an exemplary career in public service. He is a patriot who has always put our country first.”
Casey endorsed Harris in a subsequent statement.
“With women’s rights, workers’ rights, and voting rights on the line, the stakes of this election for Pennsylvania and the nation couldn’t be higher,” Casey wrote. “Vice President Harris has been leading on those fights and as a former prosecutor, she will draw a clear contrast between herself and former President Trump. She is prepared to be Commander-in-Chief and is the best person to meet this moment.”
State College Mayor Ezra Nanes, who is one of four delegates from the 15th Congressional District to the Democratic National Convention next month in Chicago, also expressed admiration for Biden while pledging his support for Harris.
“Joe Biden is a class act and shows great wisdom and humility as a leader,” Nanes wrote on Facebook. “I have been deeply honored to be a pledged delegate for Joe Biden for President. I commend the President on his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic Presidential nominee, and I join Joe Biden in enthusiastically endorsing Kamala Harris. I urge you to offer your full support to VP Harris as well.”
State Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township, said Biden has served the nation “with great honor, wisdom and decency.”
“Today’s decision demonstrates his tremendous personal strength and selfless leadership, and is a fitting capstone to his legacy of accomplishment and achievement on behalf of the American people,” Takac wrote in a statement posted on social media. “President Biden’s influence and impact will be felt for generations to come. Over the past four years, he not only helped restore America’s standing in the world but led us back from a badly mismanaged pandemic and historic threats to our democracy. And in a highly partisan and divided Congress, he successfully championed both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, which make transformational investments that will ensure a brighter future for us all.
“But it is clear that the existential threats to our rights and freedoms have never been more grave. Now is the time to follow our President’s lead and to come together in defense of our democracy and our future.”
On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Howard Township, said Biden was “pushed out” by party “elites” and made no comment on Harris .
“I was surprised to learn that President Biden has ended his campaign, pushed out under the pressure of Democratic Party elites, alongside vulnerable House Members and Senators, who saw risk to their own political futures by being tied to an executive who is clearly not up to the task,” Thompson said in a statement.
