WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden, announced Sunday that he is dropping out of the presidential race, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote. “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President.”

The announcement comes after weeks of turmoil throughout the Democratic party following a lackluster debate performance by President Biden in June.

Since then, dozens of congressional democrats have called on the president to step down, maintaining that another candidate would have a more successful run in the November general election.

However, the Oklahoma Democratic Party’s 36-pledged convention delegates reiterated support for the president despite his age and debate performance, arguing that Biden’s years of experience give him the best opportunity.

“If we wish to protect our Constitution, our Democracy, and the future of our country by defeating Donald Trump and his MAGA movement at the ballot box on November 5th, we must close ranks as a united party around President Biden,” the party said in a statement.

Two Oklahoma Democratic delegates to the party’s national convention next month in Chicago, Matthew Lucas and Antwuan Jackson II, declined to comment on Biden’s announcement.

The Democratic National Convention, where candidates are normally nominated as the party’s candidate, serves a more ceremonial role this year due to an Ohio election law. The law requires that candidates be officially nominated by Aug. 7, nearly two weeks before the convention begins.

To counteract this rule, the party will hold a virtual nomination ceremony at some point before the deadline.

Some Democrats have called for an open convention, in which multiple candidates vie for the party’s nomination via rounds of voting among delegates, while others have called for a “mini-primary.”

Though its exact process is not yet clear, a mini-primary could involve fast-tracked campaigns between nominee hopefuls through town halls, speeches and debates to better familiarize the public with potential candidates.

In her first statement since the announcement, Harris said Biden’s intent to drop out of the race is a “selfless” and “patriotic” act that puts the public “above everything else.” “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said. “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.”

President Biden’s announcement to not run for re-election drew responses from many politicians, including former President Trump, the Republican nominee for the presidential race.

“Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve – and never was! All those around him, including his doctor and the media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t – and now, look what he’s done to our Country,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Former President Obama also released a statement following the announcement, praising Biden’s “outstanding track record,” but not endorsing Harris or any other potential Democratic nominee.

“I know [Joe] wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America,” Obama said. “We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead, but I have extraordinary confidence in the leaders of our party.”

Both former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton released a joint statement on X, writing their thanks to Biden while endorsing Harris for the Democratic nomination.

“We’ve lived through many ups and downs, but nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term,” the Clintons said. “We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her.”

Oklahoma Republicans bashed the decision, with some calling on Biden to resign from office entirely.

U.S. Representative Josh Brecheen (R-Coal County) issued a statement following the announcement, arguing that if President Biden is unfit to run, he should resign from office.

“If President Biden is not well enough to be the next Democrat nominee, he is not well enough to continue serving as President,” he wrote.

U.S. Representative Tom CCole (R-Moore) argued that the decision undermines the Democratic process.

“Donald Trump faced many able and worthy competitors in dozens of primaries and bested them all,” Cole said. “ Whoever the Democratic elite anoints as their party’s nominee will not have won a single legitimate primary nor the vote of a single Democratic voter.”

In a post on X, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Stilwell) advocated for the use of the 25th amendment which allows for the President to be removed by his cabinet when incapacitated.

“If Joe Biden is unfit to run for re-election, he is unfit to carry out his term. 25th Amendment,” Mullin said.

U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-Oklahoma City) attacked the Biden legacy of his immigration and economic policies in a statement.

“As I have said for months, President Biden was behind in every poll because of his policies, not his age or mental capacity. Democrats gave us high prices, open borders, and weak standing in the world,” Lankford said. “Let’s Make America Great Again.”

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.