First-term Colorado Democrat calls on Biden to ‘pass the torch’

First-term Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) on Friday called on President Biden to “pass the torch” and withdraw from the presidential race.

Her statement came the morning after the president’s widely anticipated news conference to wrap up the NATO summit in Washington, which supporters hoped would quell Democratic fears around his campaign. 

She is the 17th House Democrat to call on Biden to step aside.

“Joe Biden saved our country once, and I’m joining the growing number of people in my district and across the country to ask him to do it again,” Pettersen said in a statement posted on social platform X. 

“Please pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders so we have the best chance to defeat Donald Trump, who is the greatest threat to the foundation of this country that we have ever faced,” she continued. 

The Colorado Democrat said she had “deep admiration” and “love” for the president and the work he’s done, but “my son and my constituents can’t suffer the consequences of inaction at this critical moment.”

Pettersen is the fourth House Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw from the race after the president held a news conference in which he sought to tamp down fears over his age and mental fitness — and his candidacy more generally.

Reps. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.) also called on Biden to step aside after the event. 

Though the news conference was seen as a better performance by the president than his interview with ABC News last week, it has not quelled concerns within the party that he could jeopardize Democrats’ chances of keeping the White House and flipping the House in November.

Notably, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) issued a letter Friday saying he met with Biden privately Thursday evening, when he “directly expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward that the Caucus has shared in our recent time together.”