Tester, vulnerable Senate Democrat, says Biden should end his campaign

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) on Thursday became the second Senate Democrat to publicly urge President Joe Biden to step down as the party’s presidential nominee.

“I have worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong,” Tester, who is facing perhaps the toughest reelection bid of any Democratic senator this year, said in a statement posted to X.

“And while I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek reelection to another term,” he said.

Tester is considered one of — if not the — most vulnerable Senate Democratic incumbent up for reelection this fall. His statement comes amid an increasingly public effort by Democrats to get Biden to withdraw from the race over growing concerns about ability to beat former President Donald Trump and the possibility he could drag other endangered Democrats along with him.

Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) is the only other Senate Democrat who has publicly urged Biden to step down from the race. But other top Democrats have privately raised their concerns to Biden directly and his campaign team.

Senate Democrats had a heated discussion with a trio of campaign officials during a meeting on Capitol Hill last week. Tester — who had previously raised concerns about Biden’s ability to win in November — did not attend that lunch.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have each privately raised concerns to Biden in recent conversations about Democrats’ ability to win if he stays at the top of the ticket. House Democrats, in particular, are worried that he will sink their ability to win back the majority — which could be their only foothold in power come January if Republicans flip the Senate, as expected, and if Trump wins the White House.

Tester gave Schumer a heads up on his call for Biden to drop out, a person with knowledge of the situation told POLITICO. Schumer told Tester to do what he thought was right, the person added.

Biden and his campaign team have maintained that the president isn't reconsidering his decision to run. "I talk to the president every day, like I said. He is not wavering on anything. The president has made his decision," Quentin Fulks, Biden's principal deputy campaign manager said Thursday morning at a press conference in Milwaukee, the site of the Republican convention. "I don’t want to be rude but I do not know how many more times we can answer that. Joe Biden has said he is running for president of the United States."

Shortly before Tester’s statement, Rep. Jim Costa of California became the 20th House Democrat to call on Biden to end his campaign, in addition to the two senators.