Local leaders across the nation reacted swiftly to President Joe Biden’s Sunday announcement that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential election and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ president, Columbus, Ohio, Mayor Andrew Ginther, lauded Biden’s time in office in a Sunday statement. Ginther called Biden “an incredible ally and advocate for America’s mayors,” recalling that when the president assumed office, U.S. cities were on the front lines of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He worked hand in hand with us to deliver some of the most consequential legislation for cities,” Ginther said. “The American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act were historic investments that continue to strengthen communities across the country.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a statement commended Biden’s decision to drop out of the race, saying that “the country needs strong leadership from a new generation.” Adams will be a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in August. "From here, the Democratic Party must continue to put working-people first and address their concerns about the cost of living, public safety, and our shared democratic values,” Adams said.
Some Republican city officials took Biden dropping out as an opportunity to advocate for Donald Trump’s election. In a statement, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez thanked Biden for his service and said the U.S. should elect Trump “on the merits of his policy to restore America’s stability, prosperity and national security.” Suarez drew some criticism after the statement was posted on the city of Miami’s official Instagram page. The statement has since been deleted from that page.
Mesa, Arizona, Mayor John Giles (also a Republican) said in an interview with 12 News that his initial reaction to Biden dropping out was to recognize the president's five decades of service. “A lot of good things have happened in my community as a result of some of the great legislation that he’s accomplished during his presidency,” said Giles, who endorsed Biden for president in 2020. He added that all the new infrastructure being built in his city means he’s attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony every week.
Giles said he was disappointed in a Sunday statement by Trump that accused Biden of not being fit to serve as president and of attaining the role through “lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement.”
“This last week, I was seeing the change in tenor that [Trump] brought, post-assassination attempt. I was very encouraged by that, reaching out to all of America and saying that we had to lower the temperature. I thought that was spot on. I think the country responded well to that tone from Donald Trump,” Giles said. “We saw the opposite today.”
Other mayors advocated for Harris to be named the Democratic Party’s nominee for president. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria urged voters to unite around the vice president to “defeat Donald Trump and his extreme agenda again this November.”
