Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey Calls on Biden to Reevaluate His Campaign

WASHINGTON — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Friday called on President Biden to assess whether he remains Democrats’ best chance of defeating former President Donald Trump, becoming the first Democratic governor to publicly signal that the party might be better off with another candidate.

Healey, a Biden ally, was one of 10 Democratic governors who met with Biden at the White House on Wednesday, while 14 other Democratic governors attended the virtual meeting. Healey was not among the three governors who emerged together from the West Wing afterward to speak to reporters and reaffirm their support for Biden after his disappointing performance in last week’s debate.

“President Biden saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an incredible job over the past four years. I am deeply grateful for his leadership. And I know he agrees that this is the most important election of our lifetimes,” Healey said in a statement.

“The best way forward right now is a decision the president must make. In the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully assess whether he remains our best hope of defeating Donald Trump,” she added.

She said that “whatever President Biden decides,” she is committed to doing everything in her power to defeat Donald Trump.

Biden has vowed to remain in the race for the 2024 nomination, telling supporters gathered at the White House for a July 4 celebration on Thursday: “I’m not going anywhere.”

The White House and Biden’s campaign have spent the week trying to limit the damage from Biden’s disastrous debate last week against Trump, in which Biden struggled to finish his thoughts and complete his sentences. His poor performance alarmed Democrats and sparked growing calls for him to withdraw from the race.

Two Democratic members of Congress, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, have called on Biden to end his campaign.

The Democratic Governors Association requested this week’s meeting with Biden after governors expressed concerns not only about Biden’s performance in the debate, but also about the campaign’s response to it.

Governors Tim Walz of Minnesota, Kathy Hochul of New York and Wes Moore spoke to reporters after the roughly hour-long meeting, each reaffirming their support for Biden by saying they would “support him.” But Walz also made clear that their top priority was finding a “path to victory in November.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer each expressed support for Biden in written statements on social media after this week’s meeting.

Contact Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.