Here are the congressional Democrats calling for Biden to end his reelection bid

President Biden has remained defiant in the face of growing concern about his fitness for reelection following his highly criticized debate performance on June 27.

But his efforts to reassure voters about his ability to beat former President Donald Trump a second time have done little to suppress the mounting pressure from his party and a volley of pundits calling on him to drop out of the presidential race.

In Congress, 12 Democrats have now called for Biden to step aside, while a number of other party leaders have voiced concerns.

Biden, meanwhile, has shown no signs of backing down. He said he simply had a “bad night” during his debate in his first interview afterward with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, and he’s held rallies in North Carolina, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania since.

Here are the Democrats who have spoken out. Check back here as this article will be continually updated.

Rep. Brad Schneider, July 11

Schneider’s statement described how Biden “has the opportunity to secure his legacy” by leaving the race.

“The stakes in this election could not be higher,” the Illinois Democrat wrote. “I love President Biden. I am forever grateful for his leadership and service to our nation. The time has come, however, for President Biden to heroically pass the torch to a new generation of leadership.”

Rep. Hillary Scholten, July 11

Scholten, who flipped her district in Michigan in 2022, issued a statement on X that Biden should “step aside from the presidential race and allow a new leader to step up.”

However, she added that should Biden stay in the race, she would “respect” the decision and “will still vote for him, as a clear and necessary alternative to Donald Trump.”

Sen. Peter Welch, July 10

In an op-ed in the Washington Post, Welch, of Vermont, became the first U.S. senator to call for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race.

“I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and wants to do it again. But he needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not,” Welch wrote.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, July 10

Blumenauer, of Oregon, became the ninth House Democrat to call for Biden to exit the presidential race.

“It is a painful and difficult conclusion but there is no question in my mind that we will all be better served if the president steps aside as the Democratic nominee and manages a transition under his terms,” Blumenauer said in a statement, according to Politico. “He has earned that right.”

Rep. Pat Ryan, July 10

Ryan told the New York Times that he felt Biden should step aside “for the good of the country.”

“I’d be doing a grave disservice if I said he was the best candidate to serve this fall,” the New York Democrat said. “For the good of our country, for my two young kids, I’m asking Joe Biden to step aside in the upcoming election and deliver on the promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders.”

In a statement posted on X, Sherrill shared that because she knows “Biden cares deeply about the future of our country,” he should “declare he won’t run for reelection” and “help us through a process toward a new nominee.”

Sherrill added that her concerns lie with the “threat” of Trump returning to the White House.

“The stakes are too high,” the New Jersey Democrat wrote. “I realize this is hard, but we have done hard things in pursuit of democracy since the founding of this nation. It is time to do so again.”

Rep. Adam Smith, July 8

Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, told CNN on July 8 that he agreed Biden should end his candidacy and that Vice President Kamala Harris “would be a much better, stronger candidate.” He also issued a similar statement on his official site.

“The president’s performance in the debate was alarming to watch and the American people have made it clear they no longer see him as a credible candidate to serve four more years as president,” Smith said. “Since the debate, the president has not seriously addressed these concerns.

“This is unacceptable. The stakes are simply too high. Donald Trump and MAGA extremism pose an existential threat to our nation, and we need to be in the strongest possible position to win in this election.”

Smith did add that if Biden stays in the race, he will support him.

“If he gets the nomination, I’m all in,” Smith said.

Rep. Angie Craig, July 6

Craig, a Democrat who represents Minnesota’s second congressional district, issued a statement hours after the ABC interview, for Biden to step aside in the 2024 race.

While noting her respect for Biden’s “decades of service,” Craig said “given what I saw and heard from the President during last week’s debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the President himself following that debate, I do not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump.

“This is not a decision I’ve come to lightly, but there is simply too much at stake to risk a second Donald Trump presidency,” she added, before calling on Biden to drop out of the race and “allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward.”

“There is only a small window left to make sure we have a candidate best equipped to make the case and win,” Craig said.

Rep. Mike Quigley, July 5

Quigley, an Illinois Democrat, became the fourth House Democrat to call on Biden to exit the presidential race.

“Mr. President, your legacy is set,” he said on MSNBC. “We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this.”

Quigley affirmed his decision in comments following Biden’s ABC News interview Friday.

The Illinois representative had previously publicly expressed reservations about Biden continuing his campaign, urging the president to “appreciate at this time just how much it impacts not just his race, but all the other races that are coming in November.”

Rep. Seth Moulton, July 4

Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat and Iraq war vet, became the third House Democrat to call on Biden to step aside. He did so in an interview with Boston radio station WBUR.

“President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding fathers, George Washington’s footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump,” Moulton told WBUR.

Moulton said the mechanism for choosing a new candidate was “yet to be determined” and could include “some sort of primary process” or that Vice President Kamala Harris could emerge as the presidential nominee.

On Wednesday, Moulton had released a statement that had stopped short of calling for Biden to exit, but had recommended “all viable options” be on the table.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, July 3

Grijalva became the second House Democrat to call on Biden to drop out. In an interview, he said, “If he’s the candidate, I’m going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere.”

“What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat,” the Arizona Democrat continued, “and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, July 2

Doggett was the first Democrat in office to directly call for Biden to drop out. In a statement, which circulated on X, Doggett, of Texas, said Biden’s debate performance did not reassure voters and Biden “failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump’s lies.”

Following Biden’s ABC News interview Friday, Doggett said the “need” for Biden to step aside was growing more urgent every day.

Former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, July 1

Ryan published an opinion piece for Newsweek on July 1 that called for Kamala Harris to be the new Democratic nominee.

“We have to rip the band aid off! Too much is at stake,” Ryan wrote in an X post linking out to his article. “It’s time!”