Colorado Rep. Brittany Pettersen Calls on Biden to Drop Re-Election Bid

Freshman Democratic Representative Brittany Pettersen of Colorado has asked President Joe Biden to relinquish his bid for re-election. Rep. Pettersen is the first member of Congress from Colorado to make such a recommendation.

“Joe Biden saved our country once, and I’m joining the growing number of people in my district and across the country to ask him to do it again. Please pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders so we have the best chance to defeat Donald Trump, who is the greatest threat to the foundation of this country that we have ever faced,” Pettersen stated in a press release.

A Difficult Decision

In conversations, Rep. Pettersen has indicated that she has found it difficult to make this decision because she believes that President Biden is “a genuinely good human who’s done so much for our country.” She cited her history of working as an organizer for the Obama-Biden campaign in 2008, “he’s meant a lot to me personally”, as a testament to her respect and admiration for the President.

However, she maintains that it was “a right and clear decision.” She said that the greatest threat the nation faces is another Trump presidency and it is critical to take preemptive action now to avoid negative consequences for her constituents and her son.

Other Democrats Join the Call

Rep. Pettersen’s declaration underlines a rising number of Congressional Democrats who have publicly urged President Biden to pass the torch. Members such as Reps. Ed Case, Greg Stanton, Bradley Schneider, Hillary Scholten, Jim Himes, Scott Peters, and Eric Sorensen all made similar requests this week.

Situation in Colorado

Reflecting on this issue, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet voiced his concerns about the trajectory of the presidential race. “Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election and maybe win it by a landslide and take with him the Senate and the House,” he said . However, Bennet did not explicitly call on Biden to step aside.

Meanwhile, other Colorado Democrats have reiterated that Biden is the nominee and the choice to stay in the race is his to make. Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo, who currently holds the state’s only toss-up seat, has said she’s focused on her race.

Treading Cautiously

The tricky situation Democrats find themselves in was highlighted by Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi during a TV interview this week. “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We’re all encouraging him to make that decision, because time is running short,” she said.

Sen. John Hickenlooper advocated patience with the President’s decision, stating, “Joe Biden is a fighter and the more you attack him, the more dug in he’ll get. And I think part of the process is to give him space to really, you know, reconsider… what is best for the country.”