'Pass the torch': Rep. Greg Stanton calls on Joe Biden to leave presidential race

Rep. Greg Stanton on Thursday called on President Joe Biden to step aside from the 2024 presidential race.

"The stakes in this election could not be higher. For our country's sake, it is time for the President to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders," Stanton, D-Ariz., wrote in a social media message.

Stanton is now the 13th House Democrat in the country, and the second from Arizona, to ask Biden to leave the race after the president's faltering debate performance in June sparked a fresh wave of concerns about whether he was mentally fit for the office.

In his statement, Stanton praised Biden’s record as president and said he was “proud” to have been an early endorser of Biden during the 2020 Democratic primary. A moderate Democrat, Stanton has generally aligned with the president on policy matters from immigration to infrastructure.

“Perhaps President Biden’s most defining legacy, though, is as a fierce defender of American democracy,” Stanton’s statement continued.

“(Former President) Donald Trump poses an existential threat to our Constitution and the rule of law, and to the hard-fought rights Americans have enjoyed for generations. A second Trump term would be devastating for our Republic and the stakes in this election could not be higher,” he wrote.

“The Democratic Party must have a nominee who can effectively make the case against Trump, and have the confidence of the American people to handle the rigors of the hardest job on the planet for the next four years. For the sake of American democracy, and to continue to make progress on our shared priorities, I believe it is time for the President to step aside as our nominee.”

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., delivered a similar assessment last week, telling the New York Times that Biden must “shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat” and exit the race.

Arizona’s other sitting Democratic members of Congress have mostly stuck with Biden. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., the presumptive Democratic nominee for Arizona’s U.S. Senate seat, told a reporter on Wednesday that voters “want to see proof that he's up for the job.” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., brushed off the idea that Biden should step aside Tuesday in comments to Cronkite News.

U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., a former Democrat, did not return The Republic's request for comment last week on the topic.

Arizona Democratic Party Chair Yolanda Bejarano said in an interview after Stanton’s announcement that the party is “standing behind our nominee.”

“Voters decided in the primary elections and presidential preference election here in Arizona that President Biden is our nominee, and we are looking ahead,” Bejarano said.

Jacques Petit, the Arizona Communications Director for Biden's reelection campaign, focused on the president's record in a statement released on Thursday.“Arizonans have lower prescription drug prices, thousands of new manufacturing jobs, and billions in infrastructure investments thanks to Joe Biden," Petit wrote. "There is a clear choice at the ballot box, and we cannot forget the threat that is Donald Trump — he’s pushing a nationwide abortion ban, wants to eliminate jobs in Arizona, and continues to push violent rhetoric and extremism."

In his campaign, Trump is calling for state-level laws on abortion, not a national one, though he has suggested his support for a national law in the past.

Republic reporter Stephanie Murray contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Check www.azcentral.com for updates.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Greg Stanton calls on Joe Biden to leave presidential race