Sewell says that Biden will go down as one of the most consequential and transformational leaders America has ever had: endorses Kamala Harris

On Sunday, President Joseph R. Biden (D) released a written statement announcing that he is suspending his campaign to be reelected immediately. Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D-Selma), a longtime Biden supporter, released the following statement expressing her admiration for Biden and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the successor to Biden.

"President Joe Biden will go down in history as one of the most consequential and transformational leaders America has ever seen," Sewell wrote. "At a time of great uncertainty, President Biden rescued our nation from a pandemic, beat back attacks on our democracy, and restored decency to the White House. I was proud to work alongside him to deliver billions of dollars in infrastructure investments to Alabama, lower health care and prescription drug costs, cancel student debt, and so much more."

The delegates to the Democratic convention, freed from their commitment to Joe Biden, have the opportunity to either promote Harris or open up the convention to new candidates for the presidency. Rep. Sewell believes that they should stay with Kamala Harris.

"November's election remains the most critical of our lifetime, when our rights and freedoms hang in the balance," Sewell stated. "For the sake of our democracy, we as Democrats should come together, follow President Biden's lead, and unite behind Kamala Harris as our nominee. I plan to do everything in my power, from now until November, to make Kamala Harris the next President of the United States."

To this point neither Biden, who is suffering from COVID-19 – despite getting the vaccine and a number of booster – or Harris has addressed the nation about the situation.

Harris did release a statement on X.

"I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party-and unite our nation-to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda," she wrote.

Harris appears to be lobbying Democratic donors, leaders, and powerbrokers in an attempt to head off a convention battle.

Senator Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – four names frequently mentioned as possible Biden/Harris alternatives – have all endorsed Harris.

In addition to Sewell, she also has the endorsements of President Biden, former President William J. Clinton, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, Rep. Jamie Raskin (Maryland), Rep. Jim Clyburn (South Carolina), Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) Rep. Adam Schiff (California), Rep. Katie Porter (California), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (New York), and over a dozen other members of the House and Senate.

Former President Barack H. Obama, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (California), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (New York), and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (New York) have not yet made an endorsement.

While Shapiro, Newsom, Beshear, and Kelly appear to be out of the Presidential sweepstakes, other names mentioned as possible candidates – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore – could still possibly mount challenges against Harris's leadership. What they do in the next week will be closely watched. U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (West Virginia) has announced that he is not interested in running.

President Biden had been adamant that he would stay in the race, unless illness, "the Lord Almighty" told him to drop out, or he had no path to victory. On Friday, two trusted Biden aides who have been with him for the last forty years visited the President at his home in Delaware and told him there was no path to victory. This was in the wake of new polling confirming the worst. According to new polling by Emerson, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania (four of them crucial swing states Biden won in 2020) appeared to be lost to Biden and he was trailing in Wisconsin, Michigan, Virginia, and New Hampshire (all states Biden won in 2020), Given how rapidly he has been dropping in the polls – since March – it appeared that if he had stayed in the race that Biden would have faced a colossal defeat of truly epic proportions.

Biden's nemesis, former President Donald J. Trump (R) was not gracious on Biden's exit.

"Does anybody really believe that Crooked Joe had Covid? No, he wanted to get out ever since June 27th, the night of The Debate, where he was completely obliterated. That was the big moment in Joe Biden's demise. That was the point in time when Joe was revealed for what he is, an incompetent man who should never have been President. Joe Biden is not fit to serve - He is destroying our Country!"

Trump had agreed to debating Biden for the second time on ABC. Since Biden has left the race, Trump has said that deal no longer holds and his debate with the Democratic nominee should instead be on Fox News.

"My debate with Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the history of the United States, was slated to be broadcast on Fake News ABC, the home of George Slopadopolus, sometime in September. Now that Joe has, not surprisingly, has quit the race, I think the Debate, with whomever the Radical Left Democrats choose, should be held on FoxNews, rather than very biased ABC. Thank you! DJT"

Sewell represents Alabama's Seventh Congressional District.

****Updated 7/22 at 8:39 am to report that Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has endorsed Harris and that Manchin was not joining the race.

(Original reporting by The Hill, Fox News, Time, and Real Clear Politics contributed to this report.)

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