Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who is facing a tough re-election battle, on Thursday became the second Senate Democrat to call on President Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
“Montana people trust me to do the right thing and I take that responsibility seriously. I’ve worked with President Biden to make Montana stronger and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he’s wrong,” Tester said. statement.
“While I value President Biden’s commitment to public service and country, I do not believe he should seek reelection for another term.”
The news was first reported by The Daily Montanan.
Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) was the first Senate Democrat to call on Biden to drop out of the race.
Tester is seeking a fourth term in Montana as one of two Senate Democrats running for re-election in a state that Donald Trump won handily in 2020.
Tester, a Democrat from Montana, is facing Republican Tim Sheehy, and the nonpartisan election forecasting site Cook Political Report rates Tester’s seat a “50-50” chance.
Tester’s comments are a new blow to Biden, who has been struggling to quell widespread discontent and anxiety about his candidacy within his party following his performance in the June 27 debate.
Nearly a dozen House Democrats have called on the president to drop out of the race, and now two Senate Democrats have joined them.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who is running for the California Senate seat and is widely expected to win the November election, also made headlines this week when he called on Biden to drop out of the race.
All eyes are now on Biden as Democrats wait to see how the president moves forward.
Update: 9:15pm ET
