President Joe Biden Ends Run; Nominated as Vice President in Denver, Now Endorses Kamala Harris

President Joe Biden just announced that he is not running for a second term.

Although the popular senator from Delaware had already made runs for the presidency in 1998 and 2008, his road to the White House was really launched in August 2008, when he became Senator Barack Obama's vice presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.  (For a trip down nostalgia lane, see this fourteen-minute video produced by the DNC.)

Although Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination in 2016, after Obama finished his second term, Biden was the clear compromise candidate in 2020, and won the White House back from Donald Trump.

Now, after withdrawing from the 2024 race, he's thrown his support behind his own vice president, Kamala Harris.

Just hours before Biden released his decision on social media, Governor Jared Polis, who was just elected chair of the National Association of Governors, was on CNN, suggesting that Biden should really consider the polls showing that he could not win (and mentioning twice that it's tough to recover from COVID...when you're in your eighties).

But apparently, Biden had already gotten the message — although his campaign's most recent request for donations arrived just minutes before Biden's letter did, announcing that he was withdrawing from the election.

And in response to the president's announcement, Polis issued this statement:

“President Biden is a true partner to Colorado, and a proud patriot. Throughout his decades of service to this country, and especially during his service as Vice President to President Obama and over the last four years as President, he has helped lead the United States through many great successes. President Biden is now, and has always been, there for Coloradans during times of grief and moments of triumph. He has helped Colorado deliver more low-cost clean energy, address climate change, improve our roads and bridges with historic federal funding, and supported Colorado as we fought to preserve our public lands. This could not have been an easy decision but it is the right one, and Joe Biden promised Americans he would always do what’s right for our country and once again he has delivered. I know President Biden and Jill are making this choice with the future of Americans in their hearts. The United States cannot afford another potential four years of a disastrous Trump presidency that would trample on rights and freedoms, derail our economy, increase costs and harm our international standing. Coloradans and I are deeply grateful to President Biden for his incredible leadership and his unrelenting commitment to the country we all love.”

Polis was back on CNN several hours after the announcement; while his name has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate, he officially endorsed Harris. "I think this is the change we need," he said. "We have the vigor and we have the energy on our side." And as the father of a ten-year-old girl, he added, "I couldn't be more excited."

Senator John Hickenlooper, who was Denver's mayor during the 2008 DNC, became the governor of Colorado and made a run for president himself in 2020, just released this statement:

“For more than fifty years in public service, President Biden has always put the country before any personal concern or ambitions. It’s just who he is. His presidency – and career – will be remembered alongside Roosevelt’s and Johnson’s for its scale, magnitude, and lasting impact on American society. More than anything, I’m thankful Joe Biden has given so much to this country over a lifetime of service.”

The next DNC is just a month away.

Read Biden's letter here: Congressman Jason Crow, who'd suggested that Biden should withdraw in recent days, was also quick to issue a statement:

“Joe Biden is one of the most effective and consequential presidents in American history. He has always put our country first. In 2020, President Biden saved us from a second Trump term and by stepping aside he may have done so again. As a soldier and now as a Congressman, I have felt an unshakeable duty to protect our democracy, people, and ideals. This moment is no different. Donald Trump is a threat to democracy and would make our country unrecognizable. We must unite and defeat him in November. I am confident Americans will rise up and meet this moment. Onward to victory.”

And Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, who ran for president in 2020, too, and was the first senator to suggest publicly that Biden would lose in "a landslide" to Trump, just made his own announcement:

“America is a better, stronger country because of President Biden’s decades of public service and dedication to the American Dream. Four years ago, President Biden was the only person in the country who could beat Donald Trump. He overcame Trump’s chaos and contempt for our nation’s long-held commitment to pluralism, civil rights, and the rule of law. He rejected Ronald Reagan’s failed trickle-down economics, and championed working American families.

“President Biden deserves all honor for his record in office. In one of his first acts, he expanded the Child Tax Credit - the largest investment in children and working families in generations. He passed the most significant infrastructure bill since President Eisenhower to rebuild our roads, bridges, and airports, and brought home America’s semiconductor industry - creating thousands of high-paying jobs. He took on Big Pharma to curb drug prices and won, and passed the most significant climate bill in world history. President Biden not only restored our fractured alliances but made them stronger. He reinvigorated democracy around the world, and made America safer in the process.

“President Biden embodies the decency, integrity, and leadership to which all of us in public service should aspire. Today, we owe President Biden a debt of gratitude that we may never be able to repay. We may not know what comes next, but by passing the torch to a new standard bearer, President Biden has again given us the chance to beat Donald Trump and give our children the future they deserve. Thank you, President Biden.”

This story has been updated to include Jared Polis's endorsement of Kamala Harris.