Augusta leaders react to Biden’s withdrawal from presidential race

Joe Biden is no longer seeking a second term as president.

The announcement came Sunday after weeks of speculation and calls to impeach him following an unpopular debate performance with former President Donald Trump last month. While not surprising, many Augusta-area leaders and activists spoke out in the hours following the announcement.

Ellie Benson of Moms Demand Action said, “At first I was really upset … but this could mean we have the first female president. So I’m like, ‘I can be sad, but I can also be hopeful at the same time.'”

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Nic Filzen, a local activist and pastor at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta, wrote the following message on Facebook: “This is a huge development and, I believe, the right thing to do. I think Biden has done a great job over the last 3.5 years and I believe someone else has a better chance of moving us further away from fascism in November. Thank you for your service, Mr. Biden, and thank you for letting go.”

Beth Gray, who leads the online group Women for a Cause Protesting, Augusta, said via text message: “I think this is the best thing he could have done for the party. We need someone younger and stronger who truly represents the average American and what we want for this country. I applaud President Biden for accepting and implementing the calls for his withdrawal, and I hope he can now focus on his health and family.”

Augusta Commissioner and Richmond County Democratic Party Chairman Jordan Johnson posted a selfie of himself next to Biden with the caption: “Thank you, President Joe Biden.”

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson said he hopes that regardless of who the nominees are or who wins the presidential election, the work being done around Augusta becoming a hub city (a key initiative of the Biden-Harris administration) will continue.

Rep. Rick Allen, R-Augusta, posted the following message on Facebook: “Joe Biden knew he would be unseated in November and finally accepted that the American people had had enough of his radical policies and blatant weakness on the world stage. The Democratic Party is in disarray, but rather than let Joe Biden face his almost certain defeat, the Democrats in Washington forced his removal. Rest assured, regardless of who the Democrats put on the ballot, I will continue to work to increase the Republican majority in the House, win the Senate, and secure another four years of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States. Together, we can make America great again!”

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