Nevada leaders praise Biden's 'immense patriotism and selfless leadership'

Democratic lawmakers in Nevada are praising President Joe Biden for the work he’s done the past three years, including his decision today to end his reelection bid.

Biden on Sunday announced he was finally stepping aside after persistent calls over the last two weeks from those in his party to drop out of the 2024 race. 

“From creating millions of jobs to tackling gun safety, President Joe Biden has been an outstanding and important lifelong public servant,“ Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., said in a statement to the Sun. ”I’m proud of all we’ve done together. Thank you for your patriotic leadership and enduring service, President Biden.” 

Biden campaigned in Las Vegas last week, but had his trip cut short after testing positive for COVID-19. He returned to his beach house in Delaware, where he announced the decision to withdraw in a social media post Sunday morning. 

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, 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 a letter posted to his X account.

Biden threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the leading candidate for the nomination at the Democratic National Convention next month in Chicago. 

“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” he posted in another message on X. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump.”

Horsford, the chairman of the powerful Congressional Black Caucus, is also backing Harris for the party’s presidential nomination.

“She has been instrumental in delivering the accomplishments of the last 3.5 years and has led on lowering maternal mortality rates, reproductive freedoms, and ensuring economic opportunities for all,” Horsford and Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said in a joint statement from the Congressional Black Caucus.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said Biden served our country in public office with dignity and integrity for decades. 

“Under his experienced leadership in the White House and with a Democratic Senate majority, we passed major bipartisan laws to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, expand health care for veterans, and keep our communities safer from gun violence,” she said in a statement. “We took on powerful special interests to make historic progress on lowering prescription drug costs and fighting the climate crisis. It is a remarkable legacy of accomplishment, and I thank President Biden for his leadership and respect his decision not to seek reelection.”

And Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., commended Biden on his lengthy career, saying she is looking “forward to working with him as he finishes his historic term.”

"I’m grateful for President Biden’s lifetime of service and contributions to our nation. Time and time again, he has delivered for hardworking Nevadans. I respect his deeply personal and courageous decision,” she wrote in a post on X.

U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., said Biden put our county first during his “storied and effective career.”

“Today, he demonstrated immense patriotism and selfless leadership,” she said in a statement. “I have had the honor of helping President Biden secure his standing as one of the most impactful and bipartisan presidents of our lifetime — a legacy which includes securing once-in-a-century infrastructure investments, bringing back American jobs, passing historic climate change and bipartisan gun safety legislation, expanding veterans’ healthcare, and taking on big drug companies to lower costs for seniors and working families.”

Lee is also backing Harris, saying “I look forward to supporting Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket so we can once again defeat Donald Trump and far-right extremism.”

U.S. Rep Dina Titus, D-Nev., said Biden made the most difficult decision of his five decades of public service.

"Ultimately, he chose to put the interests of this nation above himself," she said in a statement. "That is the essence of a great president. President Biden has brought us unprecedented progress in health care, job creation, protecting the environment, and preserving individual rights. He wants to focus on finishing the job he began. That too is the sign of a great leader.”

Titus additionally supports Harris' bid for the presidential nomination, issuing a second statement saying "it is time for Democrats to unite behind Kamala Harris as our nominee. She is a proven fighter for women’s reproductive freedoms and protecting democracy. I look forward to helping her stop Donald Trump and Project 2025 this November."