One elected Democrat in Massachusetts is calling for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid after his debate performance Thursday night — and floating Gov. Maura Healey as one of several younger candidates who could step up in his place.
In a Boston Public Radio interview Friday, state Sen. Jason Lewis made the comparison to a train that’s headed for derailment and a fiery crash.
“And our choice is to, you know, jump off that train,” said Lewis, a Winchester Democrat. “It’s scary. We may break a leg when we jump off, but that’s a lot better than dying in a train crash. And that’s where our party and our country are headed on the track we’re on right now.”
Thursday’s debate between Biden, 81, and former President Donald Trump, 78, sparked questions over whether Biden is up for another four years in the White House.
Some Democrats, like Lewis, have suggested that Biden should bow out, allowing the party to pick a new nominee at its upcoming convention.
Lewis said there are a number of “experienced, talented young leaders” who could step in as alternative candidates. Among them, he listed Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and “Hey, how about Maura Healey?”
Healey, after an unrelated State House event, declined to respond to Lewis’ suggestion and wouldn’t answer when asked if Biden should drop out.
“Joe Biden had a bad debate performance. It was tough to watch,” said Healey, a campaign surrogate for Biden. “I also saw Donald Trump stand up there and lie. I saw him brag about overturning Roe once again and taking away health care for women. I also heard him talk about his refusal to accept the results of the last election and refusal to commit to accepting results of the next election and a refusal to denounce the insurrection.”
Lewis, in a statement posted to Instagram, said he hopes fellow Democrats will pick up the call for an open convention.
So far, the idea doesn’t seem to have picked up much traction on Beacon Hill, where Biden’s 2020 campaign enjoyed support among elected Democrats.
Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Republican Party said in a Thursday night statement that Biden is “clearly unfit to participate in a debate, let alone continue to lead our country as President of the United States.”
State Rep. Mike Connolly, a Cambridge Democrat and one of the Legislature’s more progressive members, said Biden and top Democrats need to “address” the president’s debate performance, but stopped short of calling for him to step aside.
“I think it’s an open question in terms of where we go from here,” he said.
Connolly watched the debate from his iPhone in the House chamber, in between votes on economic development legislation. He also posted his reaction to social media, where he called Biden’s performance “atrocious.”
“I offered my opinion today because I don’t think it’s a good idea to ignore the terrible performance last night and just sort of wish it away,” Connolly told GBH News. “I think the president needs to address it one way or another and we will need to be sure that we are doing everything we can to stop a fascist, Donald Trump, from retaking the White House.”
House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a statement to GBH News that he “thought the President finished strong.”
“No ballgame is won in the first inning and you must look at the entire debate,” Mariano said. “Donald Trump couldn’t find the truth in 90 minutes. The choice was stark yesterday and it is today.”
