Ken Lecky had a unique vantage point for one of the most momentous turns in the past 45 years of Democratic Party politics.
Lecky, the chair of the Fredericksburg Democratic Committee, was working the room at a Coordinated Campaign canvassing event in downtown Fredericksburg on Sunday afternoon when his local field organizer relayed that President Joe Biden had dropped his bid for re-election.
Surrounded by his fellow Democrats, Lecky’s thoughts immediately turned to what’d he been telling volunteers just before they fanned out to knock on doors across the city.
“We’re supporting the policies and vision of the Democratic Party by voting for Eugene Vindman, Tim Kaine and the candidate at the top of the ticket, whether that’s Joe Biden or someone else,” Lecky said. “Our work is going to be the same no matter who our nominee is.”
In the hours since, Lecky has had countless conversations with local Democrats, all of whom expressed gratitude to Biden “for what must’ve been a heartbreaking decision,” he said. “The people I’m talking to understand how important this election is.”
State Del. Joshua Cole, who is a member of the Democratic National Committee, told the Free Press that Vice President Kamala Harris has his “full support” in next month’s convention.
The Free Press compiled statements issued by Fredericksburg-area politicians at the state and federal levels in reaction to Biden bowing out of the race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee.
Sen. Tim Kaine
“As I have been saying for weeks, President Biden is a patriotic American who has always put the needs of our country ahead of himself. For more than five decades, he has served this country admirably as a Senator, Vice President, and now President. His decision today reflects the same patriotism that George Washington and Teddy Roosevelt demonstrated when they selflessly put their country above their own political ambitions.
“From ushering in an economic recovery from the pandemic that is the envy of the world, to finally rebuilding our roads and bridges, reclaiming our leadership on the international stage, lowering the cost of prescription drugs and capping the cost of insulin, President Biden has achieved historic progress for our country. I’m deeply grateful for his years of service.
“I am laser-focused on building on the historic accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration, by continuing to lower costs for Virginians, protecting our democracy at home and abroad, and safeguarding Americans’ reproductive freedoms. I’m looking forward to working with my friend Kamala Harris and a great ticket mate to keep Virginia blue so that we can continue to build on our progress.”
Sen. Mark Warner
“This nation owes Joe Biden a debt of gratitude for putting everything on hold to run in 2020 and taking the reins as President during a particularly turbulent time. He charted a bright path forward for our nation after four tumultuous years under the former administration.
“President Biden has made historic contributions to our nation. His love of country and loyalty to the American people has been unwavering. He will undoubtedly go down in the history books as a true American patriot.
“After all he’s done, I respect President Biden’s difficult decision to step aside in this upcoming election, and I look forward to hearing more from him later this week.
“While there has to be an orderly process and the decision ultimately rests in the hands of the DNC delegates, I believe Vice President Harris has the experience, energy, and resolve to lead our nation.
“This November, we must defeat Donald Trump and his backwards agenda.”
Democratic nominee for 7th Congressional District Eugene Vindman
“Joe Biden is a patriot who served his country faithfully for nearly 50 years. Today in his most selfless and patriotic act, he put country first. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Update: 5:30 p.m.: “I am proud to endorse Kamala Harris for President. She has the track record, leadership skills and support to win the November election. As a fellow prosecutor, I know Vice President Harris has taken on the tough fights and routed out corruption in our system. Let’s all unify behind VP Harris so she can lead our country forward.”
Republican nominee for 7th Congressional District Derrick Anderson
“Joe Biden’s decision not to seek re-election is the right one. During his time as President, our country has become less safe, less secure, less prosperous, and our enemies are more empowered than ever.
My opponent, Eugene Vindman, has refused to say if he’s supporting Biden for weeks. He should now step up and say who he’s supporting for president.
Does he support Kamala Harris? Will he actually let the voters of #VA07 know where he stands? #VA07 doesn’t need another finger-in-the-wind politician – we need strong leaders who will help get this country back on track.”
State Del. Joshua Cole (D-Fredericksburg)
“It goes without saying Joe Biden has been one of the most progressive and consequential Presidents in my lifetime. I’m grateful for his leadership and as he has guided us, I’m looking forward to going all in for Vice President Kamala Harris — as a DNC member, she has my full support in next month’s convention.”
State Sen. Tara Durant (R-Fredericksburg)
— Tara Durant (@TaraDurantVA) July 21, 2024
Scott Mayausky, Commissioner of Revenue, Stafford County
“I don’t think President Biden’s announcement will impact the 7th district race in any material way. The underlying issues impacting 7th district residents have not changed: high inflation, border security, stagnant economic growth… all still remain top of mind for voters. If anything, I think the Democrat party has to answer for their deception regarding the health of President Biden. I believe that trust will emerge as an issue in this campaign as a result of the Democrat’s handling of this important matter.”
Les Gabriel, Vice-Chair, Stafford County Republican Committee
“Most people have already made a judgement on the Biden-Harris administration and on the Congressional Democrats who enabled their failed agenda. Democrat candidates will now have to embrace or repudiate all of these failures, now including those for which Kamala Harris is personally responsible (most especially her signal inability to do anything to help control our borders). I know of none of the Democrat candidates who made any proposals to control spending, thereby resulting in our inflationary spiral. Neither have they stood up against federal agencies’ attacks on women and girl’s sports. They were silent during and before the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. None of them, to my knowledge, pointed out that the administration’s attack on fossil fuels has put our nation in a position so that our power grids are just a few short years from being capable of sustaining our economy and our way of life. Even if we could somehow upgrade our electric infrastructure in time, the production of a reliable 24-hour supply of electricity simply could not keep up with mandated (EV’s, electric stoves, garden tools, etc.) demand as well as the reality of data centers fueled by AI and other aspects of our electronic world.Democrats have no positive message or record to run on, so we can expect them to resort to name-calling and scare tactics. I believe that most citizens have caught on, and they are looking forward to getting back to a time when political disagreements could be resolved by honest discussion and debate.”
