Long Island politicians respond to Biden's withdrawal

Long Island Morning Edition

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New York Democrats clearly believe they will get a bounce from President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection, saying Sunday that a new ticket will reverse what had been a "palpable" lack of excitement. Striking a similar note, a veteran Republican strategist said GOP candidates in New York view Biden’s decision as "not good news" for them — though the full impact hinges on the new Democratic ticket and unity. It might be one of the few times the parties agree these days. Yancey Roy reports in NEWSDAY that Biden announced yesterday he will end his campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, the former president. Some Democrats want a wide consideration of other potential candidates. For now, the 81-year-old Biden’s decision changes a national campaign in ways not seen since 1968 and shifts dynamics in New York, too. "I think that any of the people who are currently under consideration to be our nominee will do well in New York. I think one thing is for certain: Whoever the nominee is, this will excite and energize Democratic voters across the state," Jay Jacobs, the state and Nassau County Democratic chairman, said on Sunday. The stakes in New York are high, with 27 congressional seats and 213 state legislative districts up for grabs. Democratic control of the State Legislature isn’t expected to change, but their veto-proof "supermajorities" in both the Senate and Assembly could be on the line.

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A majority of Democrats in Congress and nearly half of the country’s Democratic governors announced their support for Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic ticket in the hours after President Joe Biden stepped out of the race on Sunday.

As reported in THE NY POST, New York’s Democratic leaders quickly coalesced around Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party’s standard bearer for the White House, including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

However, there were a couple big exceptions to the calls to unite around Harris. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and N.Y.C. Mayor Eric Adams were both silent Sunday night about who should replace Biden.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, endorsed Harris just before nightfall Sunday — becoming one of the later New York Dems to throw her support behind the vice president. “As Democrats, our mission remains the same: doing everything in our power to defeat Donald Trump,” she said in a statement sent shortly before 8 p.m. yesterday. “When President Biden picked Kamala Harris to be his Vice President he unleashed incredible excitement for a new generation of political leadership. That same energy will carry us to November 5 with Vice President Harris leading our ticket.”

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Long Island political leaders have publicly responded to President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from his re-election campaign, including candidates running for the East End’s First Congressional District. Beth Young in EAST END BEACON reports that in a series of posts on the social media platform X, incumbent U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota, a Republican from Amityville, stated, “We should genuinely wish President Biden well. After 50 years of service, it’s good to see his family finally acknowledging his mental decline…President Biden’s obvious lack of mental acuity requires him to resign so America can have a Commander in Chief with basic cognitive abilities. Our national security is at risk, and the 25th Amendment must be considered if he does not step down.”

Standing outside Tweed’s restaurant in Riverhead yesterday shortly after President Biden’s announcement, the Democratic Party’s candidate in the 1st Congressional District race – John Avlon of Sag Harbor - responded on Instagram, “I don’t think this changes the stakes of this race. Joe Biden has been right about this from the beginning. The defining struggle of our time is democracy versus autocracy, and that struggle will continue as the torch is passed to a new generation,” said Mr. Avlon, whose statements did not go as far as endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. “I respect that President Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris…I look forward to working with Democrats up and down the ballot here on Long Island to build a broad patriotic coalition to defend our democracy, rebuild the middle class and win in November.”