President Joe Biden withdraws from 2024 presidential election, endorses Vice President Kamala Harris

Following calls from Democrats to pull out, the President will no longer run for re-election

by Madison Cadena and Eugenie Budnik • July 24, 2024

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 29: U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris wave to members of the audience after speaking at a campaign rally at Girard College on May 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he will “stand down” from the 2024 presidential election.

This recent decision broadcasted via social media platforms Instagram and X comes after recent criticisms and calls to pull out of the election from donors and fellow democrats.

In the statement, Biden said, “It is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”

Biden added, “I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”

Previously, the President had refused to pull out of the race disregarding concerns from many, including 30 congressional democrats who believed stepping down would be best. According to CNN, former President Barack Obama and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are among those who privately expressed concerns to Biden regarding his ability to run for another term.

This decision comes after his performance at the presidential debate against Trump in June and worries from his recent bout of COVID-19.

Biden’s decision marks the first time in 56 years that a sitting president has halted their re-election efforts.

Following his announcement, Biden declared his endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the new presidential nominee for the democratic party. Biden stated, “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.”

The President also added “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made.”

In a statement, Harris thanked Biden for his support and confirmed that she would run for president.

“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement, and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party – and unite our nation – to defeat Donald Trump.:

Despite this endorsement, the decision is not final just yet. The new Democratic presidential nominee will be determined at the Democratic National Convention. The DNC is a gathering of delegates of the democratic party to provide support and decide on the next Democratic presidential nominee.

This DNC will be different according to the Associated Press, as, “The convention rules committee will meet Wednesday to approve how the virtual roll call will work.”

This likely means that the Democratic presidential nominee will be decided prior to the convention on August 19-22, through an online roll call. A democratic delegate survey conducted by the Associated Press found that Harris has secured the support of more than the 1,976 delegates needed to secure the nomination in the first round of voting.

According to the New York Times, Harris has broken records and fundraised over $81 million in the 24 hours after Biden’s announcement.

About the Contributors

Madison Cadena, '24 -25 Editor-in-Chief, '23 -24 Broadcast Live Producer

Madison Cadena is a third-year journalism student at San Diego State University. She is from Long Island, NY, and knew she wanted to pursue journalism at just 10 years old. Currently, she is the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Aztec and began as a sports reporter. From there she worked with multimedia, photo and social media to become the Multimedia Editor in her Sophomore year. Simultaneously she began her Presidential term for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, where she doubled attendance in her year. Madison is also a member of Kappa Delta and has been a part of the Points Committee, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee. She knew she wanted to gain more knowledge of sorority government, so she currently is on the College Panhellenic Association Board as the Vice President of Programming. In this position, she plans events and helps with governing for over 2,500 sorority women. She is also a new member of the Greek honor society Rho Lambda. Madison is in her third and final year at SDSU, and she is also a School of Journalism and Media Studies Intern, where she helps produce content and works alongside the Program Director Dr. Temple Northup.

Eugenie Budnik, '24-25 News Editor, '23-24 News Editor

Eugenie Budnik is currently obtaining her MA in Mass Communication and Media Studies from San Diego State University. Eugenie graduated from San Diego State University with a BA of Journalism with an emphasis in Advertising in Spring 2024. As an ex-military child, Eugenie spent time growing up in Japan, England, Colorado and San Diego. Eugenie joined The Daily Aztec in 2021, when she was originally an elementary education major. Eugenie's time spent reporting on news for The Daily Aztec developed her love and passion for journalism, ultimately leading her to change her major. Since then, Eugenie has written over 50 pieces for The Daily Aztec and is now serving as the news editor for the second year in a row. Outside of her work, you can find Eugenie jamming out to Taylor Swift, reading, or scrolling through Tik Tok.

Isabella Biunno, '24-25 Managing Editor, '23-24 Photo Editor

Isabella Biunno is the Managing Editor for The Daily Aztec. She is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada where she was a part of publications for seven years. She is a third-year Psychology major with an emphasis in Neuroscience, and she plans to go to graduate school to become a Doctor of Occupational Therapy. She loves photography, editing, and creating, and she can’t wait to continue contributing to the DA. One thing she is passionate about outside of photojournalism is being involved in the disability community. She is an instructor at SDSU’s Adaptive Fitness Clinic, president of the Pre-Occupational Therapy Student Association, and a board member for a nonprofit called Mentoring Autistic Minds. She works as an instructor at a company back home called Inclusion Fusion where she is able to work with individuals with disabilities. Although her career-related passions fall in the healthcare field, she enjoys journalism just as much. She looks forward to expanding her experience as an editor this year.