Sen. Jon Tester of Montana on Thursday became the second Democratic senator to call on President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
“While I value Biden’s commitment to public service and country, I do not believe the President should seek reelection,” Tester said in a statement.
Tester is running for re-election this fall in one of the Senate seats most vulnerable for Democrats.
“I’ve worked with President Biden to strengthen Montana, and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to the president when he’s wrong,” he said.
Before making any public statements, Mr. Tester shared his plans with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who told him to do what he thought was best, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Senator Tester is the second Democratic senator to call on Biden to drop out of the race, following Senator Peter Welch of Vermont.
Shortly after Tester’s announcement, Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., also called on Biden to resign.
“I believe it is time, in the interest of the country, for the president to pass the baton to the next generation and continue the tradition that he started,” Costa said after praising Biden’s presidency. “Democrats need to come together and deliver the strongest team possible to the American people in this election.”
Costa, who has served in Congress since 2005, represents a district that includes Fresno. He was up for re-election in the 2022 election with 54.2% of the vote.
Tester and Costa were among 22 Democratic senators who called on Biden to drop out of the race.
Tester’s comments came after Biden said in a statement on July 8 that he “must prove to myself and the American people that I can serve as President for the next four years.”
Tester, who represents a Republican-leaning state, has previously criticized Biden on the timing of border policy and Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
Asked for comment, the Biden campaign pointed to comments made by Cedric Richmond, co-chair of Biden’s reelection campaign, in response to the news in an interview on MSNBC.
“I like Senator Tester. I think he’s one of the great fighters for the Democratic Party,” Richmond said. “But on this point, I think he’s wrong. I think we should be focused on re-electing the president and vice president, and I think senators and representatives should be running for re-election.”
“We have a long time between now and Election Day, and if we stay focused on what we need to do, we can win,” Richmond continued.
The Biden campaign also pointed to earlier comments from Quentin Fulks, the chief deputy campaign manager, who said Biden was “unfazed by anything.” The president has said multiple times that he will continue to campaign.
Tester’s Republican opponent slammed him in a statement, asking, “Is Tester finally admitting that he lied when he said Biden was 100% in favor?”
“Tester is a two-faced man desperately trying to distance himself from the catastrophe he created and imposed on the people of Montanan,” said Tim Sheehy, who is running for Tester’s seat.
Asked in August if he had concerns about Biden’s age, Tester told NBC News he believed Biden was “100 percent on board.”
