Congressional Democrats like Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Nancy Pelosi may not be willing to endorse President Joe Biden’s bid for another four-year term, but America’s Democratic Mayors Association (DMA) is “all in” with the president.
“Democratic mayors are all in for Biden-Harris and are proud to support them for reelection this November,” the DMA said in an endorsement statement Wednesday.
Shaheen, on the other hand, declined to answer when a WGIR radio host asked her if Biden should stay in the race.
“The president has to make that decision. I believe ultimately he is going to do what’s in the best interest of the country. I’m going to give him some time to make that decision.”
And former House Speaker Pelosi was also noncommittal Wednesday morning, telling MSNBC, “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We’re all encouraging him to to make that decision. Because time is running short.”
But not the Mayor’s Association.
“The stakes of this election could not be higher, and the choice could not be more clear. We need a president and vice president who will champion working families, defend our democracy, and protect our freedoms,” the association’s statement said. “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are that president and vice president, and President Biden showed tonight that he is fully committed to working with us to defeat Donald Trump once and for all.”
The DMA, “is comprised of mayors in cities of 30,000 or more,” according to its website. That includes the mayors of some of New Hampshire’s biggest cities.
And yet not a single Democratic mayor responded when NHJournal asked Wednesday if they support the DMA’s endorsement.
NHJournal requested comment from:
- Dover Mayor Robert Carrier
- Concord Mayor Byron Champlin
- Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess
- Keene Mayor Jay Kahn
- Portsmouth Mayor Deaglan McEachern
None would say if they also believe Biden should be their party’s presidential nominee and serve another four years.
And while Joyce Craig is no longer mayor of Manchester, having handed her office to Republican Jay Ruais when Republicans defeated her slate of Democrats in municipal elections earlier this year, NHJournal also asked if she would back another four-year Biden term.
Craig declined to answer.
Doubts about Biden’s mental fitness reached a fever pitch among even his most loyal supporters following a debate with GOP challenger Donald Trump that saw the president slur words, ramble incoherently, and even claim to have “beaten” Medicare.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, one of his top campaign surrogates who helped lead his successful write-in campaign during the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary, acknowledged Biden’s performance was “tough to watch” and reportedly told other governors during a teleconference that his political position is “irretrievable.”
Criticism from fellow Democrats has softened of late, however. On Wednesday, Healey told reporters “it’s up to the president to decide if he’s staying in the race.”
The DMA’s full-throated endorsement of Biden followed a conference the president held with the association’s membership.
The endorsement landed as recent polling indicates Biden is losing support. According to Real Clear Politics’ latest polling average, Trump leads the incumbent president by more than three percentage points.
In New Hampshire, results from a post-debate Saint Anselm College Survey Center poll showed a massive swing toward Trump, giving him a two-point lead in a state he lost by eight points to Biden in 2o2o.
A new Economist/YouGov poll released Wednesday found 61 percent of Americans say Biden’s health and age would “severely limit his ability to do the job.”
Even among Democrats, the concerns are real, with 42 percent saying Biden definitely or probably should step aside, and 43 percent saying he definitely or probably should not.
Biden, who turns 82 in November, has been steadfastly resisting calls to reconsider his decision to seek a second term.
In a July 8 letter to House Democrats, Biden reiterated his commitment to serving out his current term.
“The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now,” he wrote. “And it’s time for it to end.”
“Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us”
