Wisconsin Democrats thank Biden after suspension of campaign ‘resets’ bid for battleground state

Amid the rising drumbeat of calls from Democrats that President Joe Biden step down from his reelection bid in recent weeks, most prominent members of the party in Wisconsin stayed by his side.

As news broke about his decision to step down Sunday, several quickly reacted by honoring the president’s work and by throwing support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I trust Joe Biden. For over half a century he’s dedicated his life in service to our nation,” said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in a statement. Just last week, during the Republican National Convention, Johnson had used his spotlight to promote Biden as well as his city.

“Just as hard as I worked to support President Joe Biden, I’ll now focus my attention to make sure that we elect Kamala Harris to be the next President of the United States,”  Johnson said.

Biden’s announcement on social media came after weeks of speculation about the viability of his campaign, following a halting debate performance and an increasing drumbeat of concern from fellow Democrats. 

That included additional calls from about a dozen Congresspeople on Friday, including a letter co-authored by Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, a sign of weakening support from the critical battleground states that will be most ardently fought for come November. 

It also came just hours after a co-authored letter from swing state Democratic party leaders, including Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler, affirmed support for the Biden-Harris ticket, and days after the Republican National Convention convened in Milwaukee with former President Donald Trump accepting his party’s nomination Thursday night. 

Anthony Chergosky, a political scientist at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, said the news “resets” the presidential campaign.

“People around the country are going to be watching very closely to see how Wisconsin voters react to the idea of Kamala Harris being at the top of the ticket,” Chergosky said. He said she will be tasked “with winning not just Wisconsin, but all the pivotal states.”

With an endorsement from Biden emerging later in the day, Harris is a presumed frontrunner for her party’s nomination at its national convention in Chicago next month. Wisconsin is part of the so-called “blue wall” of swing states, alongside Michigan and Pennsylvania, that strategists say are necessary for a successful presidential campaign.

Sunday afternoon, Harris said she would seek the Democratic nomination to replace Biden.

As Wisconsin Democrats thank Biden, many join him in endorsing Harris

In a letter posted to social media Sunday afternoon, Biden said he would “stand down” from his reelection campaign, a jarring turn of events after weeks of insisting he would stay in the race. 

That included a forceful claim during a Madison visit earlier this month, following a debate performance against Trump that raised questions about his mental acuity. 

“Let me say it as clearly as I can: I’m staying in the race,” Biden said at the time. 

Many of Biden’s fellow Democrats in Wisconsin have maintained their support for him in recent weeks, too. That included Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who faces her own reelection bid this fall.

After news of Biden’s decision broke Sunday, Baldwin issued a statement saying it was an “honor” to work with Biden.

“I’ve been inspired by his decency, integrity, and dedication to service, and I am deeply grateful for that. Thank you, President Biden,” she said.

About an hour later, her campaign released a second statement endorsing Harris for president. 

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers released a statement calling Biden “one of—if not the most—well-accomplished presidents of my lifetime.”

“President Biden’s decision today doesn’t change the fact the choice remains clear this November. Donald Trump wants to be a dictator on day one,” Evers said. “There is much work ahead of us, and Wisconsin Democrats and I will spend every moment of every day for the next 107 days working to defeat him.”

Evers did not mention Harris in his statement.

Of the several dozen Democratic congresspeople who had called on Biden to step down in recent weeks, many had raised concerns about how his flagging popularity could affect down-ballot candidates like Baldwin. 

Chergosky, the political scientist, said that the open question is how much Harris can capitalize on Wisconsin’s close polling between Biden and Harris, and how her performance affects the prospects for other Democrats this November, too. 

“If Harris can perform above the numbers that Biden was at, if she can outperform Biden, then that is a great sign for Democrats down the ballot,” Chergosky said. “If Biden would have continued dragging down the Democratic ticket, then that would have been very difficult at some point to overcome for the other Democrats on the ticket.”

It’s the first time since 1968 that a sitting president has declined to run for reelection, he added, when Lyndon B. Johnson, facing the headwinds of an unpopular war in Vietnam, voluntarily bowed out.

Marquette pollster Charles Franklin said the announcement introduces uncertainty about what’s next.

“It takes what has developed into the Democrats biggest liability, Joe Biden, out of the picture,” Franklin said.

Franklin says Harris’s favorability ratings are just slightly less than that of Biden’s, which Franklin said is typical for vice presidents.

To beat Trump, Franklin said the Democrats need to unite behind Harris and she needs to win over independents, a few disaffected Republicans and voters who are unhappy with both Biden and Trump, also known as “double-haters.”

A recent Marquette Law School Poll shows 17 percent of voters dislike Biden and Trump equally, a higher number than the last time the two faced off in 2020, when 11 percent of voters were “double-haters.” Franklin said that is possible.

“But that depends so much on what her image becomes over the next few weeks to the convention. And after the convention in the campaign,” Franklin said.

He said both parties will need to readjust their campaign strategies. He suspects the Republicans will continue attacking the current administration’s handling of the economy and immigration at the southern border. But the party’s attacks on Biden as a person will largely go away.

“On the other hand, the record of the Biden-Harris administration remains unchanged. And so on the Democratic side, they will talk about their achievements in this time,” Franklin said.

Wisconsin Democrats had supported Biden’s reelection for weeks

The news comes after many prominent Wisconsin Democrats have offered ongoing support for Biden’s reelection bid.

The most notable exception was U.S. Rep. Pocan, a member of the party’s progressive wing, who called on Biden Friday to drop out, saying that voters’ concerns about Biden’s fitness to serve “are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign.”

Wisconsin’s other Democratic congressperson, Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, had just affirmed her support for Biden in an email to WPR Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, she said she supported his decision.

“President Biden is exiting this race with great dignity, and I am really proud of his presidency and his record. … His successful agenda will continue to improve the lives of the American people for years to come,” Moore said.

“My focus remains on defeating Donald Trump. We must all unite in our efforts to protect our democracy and individual freedoms,” she added, saying she will support Harris.

On Sunday before Biden’s announcement, a letter from swing state Democratic party leaders insisted that Biden could still win in November, with support from organizers and party faithful on the ground. 

“We understand the anxiety. But the best antidote to political anxiety is taking action. You can’t wring your hands when you’re rolling up your sleeves,” the letter read. “When we all lend our voices to contrasting the Democratic vision — from Biden-Harris straight down the ticket — with the MAGA nightmare, we win.”

In a statement Sunday afternoon, Wikler reiterated the party’s support for Biden’s record on infrastructure, jobs and climate. The statement did not mention Harris or the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month.

“President Biden will be remembered by history as one our nation’s greatest presidents — a transformational leader who dedicated a lifetime of service to our country. It has been an honor for all of us at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to work alongside him and his team for these past three and a half years,” Wikler said. “As we prepare for the next chapter in the fight to defeat MAGA extremism and win the battle for the soul of America, we feel profound gratitude for the patriotism and leadership of President Biden.”

Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Republican Party denounced the move, saying that Biden stepping down after the primary election season would subject all voters to “chaos, uncertainty, and an incapacitated presidency.” 

“If Joe Biden is incapable of the rigors of running for reelection, then he cannot be trusted to fulfill the duties of his office. Everyone from Vice President Harris, Tammy Baldwin, and the Democrat establishment bears responsibility for enabling the vanity and self-delusion of the Bidens,” said chair Brian Schimming in a statement. 

Voters react to news of Biden decision

Greg Summers, a 64 year-old retired Democrat, was on State Street in Madison Sunday after the news broke of the president’s decision. He said he likes Biden but he supports his decision to drop out.

“I don’t think he was ever going to be able to overcome the age issue,” Summers said. “it’s pretty clear that he was not going to be able to a win the election. And even if he did, in four more years, he would not be able to serve.”

Lauren Tillman, a 38-year-old Black woman and a registered Democrat, said she is worried that the public will not support a Black woman for president.

“I personally think that Vice President Harris would be a wonderful president. I think she deserves it. I think she has to acumen, I think she can do the job. I don’t think the public is going to vote for her,” Tillman said.

“I think it’s going to further fracture the Democratic Party, and they’re not going to vote for her even though she deserves to have this chance,” she said.