CASPER, Wyo. — Following the announcement that President Joe Biden will not seek a second term, Wyoming legislators and other politicians weighed in on the news and what it could mean for the upcoming election.
In a pair of posts on X, formerly Twitter, Gov. Mark Gordon urged Republican voters to remain energized and turn up on Election Day.
“Joe Biden’s decision to step aside is a good one; however we need to remember the Democrats are still in control and this administration has months to run,” the governor wrote in a statement. “I am confident Americans will make the right choice in November to vote out the failed policies of the Biden Administration by voting for President Trump and JD Vance.”
United States Rep. Harriet Hageman also made her thoughts known on the latest election development, saying that Biden should resign from the presidency in addition to withdrawing from the race.
“It has long been apparent that Joe Biden has no business running a popsicle stand, let alone the most powerful nation on Earth,” Hageman said. “His decision to withdraw from the race is the right one, but it is not the only such decision he should make. He should now resign from the presidency itself.”
In Biden’s earlier announcement, he stated that he plans on serving out the remainder of his term.
“I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in his statement. Biden added that he will give a fuller statement in an address to the nation later in the week.
In a social media post on his personal X account, Sen. John Barrasso said the move shows that Democrats “are admitting to the failures of the last four years.”
“With Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential race, Democrats are running from their record of ruin,” he added.
However, Wyoming Democrats, including Wyoming Democratic Party chairman Joe Barbuto, took a different tone when addressing the news.
“I’ve trusted [Biden] to make decision in the best interest of our party, nation, and world,” Barbuto wrote in a statement on X. “He has yet to let me down, and that remains true today. I am in awe of the courage and patriotism it took for President Biden to reach this decision; my respect for him has only grown.”
Before the announcement came, Wyoming Rep. Karlee Provenza (D, Laramie) had expressed concerns about Biden’s viability as a candidate, citing a potential concern of voter apathy should he stay in the race.
“Based on just my finger on the pulse, I think that there’s potentially an opportunity to reinvigorate voters to show up to vote for a presidential race if Biden were to not be the candidate,” she said.
