Southern California elected officials reacted Sunday to President Biden’s shock announcement that he is withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a former congresswoman who was one of the leading contenders to be Biden’s running mate in the 2020 presidential election, said Angelenos have “directly benefited” from Biden’s leadership.
“His collaboration was essential to reducing homelessness in Los Angeles for the first time in years. He helped provide health care to Angelenos, lower prescription drug costs, strengthen infrastructure, expand public transportation, and green Los Angeles,” Bass said. “President Biden also defeated the most divisive president in history, whose policies weakened America’s economy, health, and international standing around the world.”
Sen. Alex Padilla, a Democrat from the San Fernando Valley, thanked Biden for “working with us to improve the lives of Californians.”
“During his presidency, he led the country out of a devastating pandemic and revived our economy with record job creation and the lowest unemployment rate in history. He delivered transformative bipartisan victories to invest in infrastructure and lower costs for working families,” Padilla said.
Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu, who represents West Los Angeles and the South Bay, said in a statement that Biden “will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents of our great country.”
“[He] “He has helped rebuild a country hit by the pandemic, bringing about massive job creation, infrastructure development and a clean energy and technology revolution,” Liu said.
Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who represents a downtown Los Angeles district, praised Biden for “putting the American people first.”
“The president’s decision to step down is bigger than one election or one candidate — it’s about what kind of country we want to be in the long term. Now is the time for Democrats to come together and continue the fight we’ve been doing for years for workers across this country,” Gomez said.
Rep. Nanette Barragan, who represents the Port of Los Angeles area, said Biden is one of the most important presidents in American history.
“I was proud to work closely with his administration on many of these historic accomplishments, and Democrats stand with (the president) and Kamala Harris as we work to ensure his legacy is upheld and as our party moves forward united and continues to put the American people above politics,” Barragan said.
Democratic Rep. Isaac Bryan of Culver City called Biden’s announcement the right decision, calling it “selfless, unapologetically historic.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, in a statement, thanked Biden for his “decades of public service.”
“From Vice President Biden’s first call to me when my mother passed away in 2011, to my experience serving in Congress, I’ve found him to be a kind, compassionate man who always puts people and country first,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said.