Rep. Blumenauer Calls on Biden to Step Down as Other Oregon Democrats Remain Silent

Oregon’s longest-serving U.S. representative on Wednesday called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, while other members of Oregon’s Democratic congressional delegation and candidates remained silent.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an East Portland Democrat who plans to retire in January after nearly three decades in the House, became the first member of the Oregon delegation to take a public stance on Biden’s ability to win in November.

Blumenauer said the conclusion he and a growing number of Democratic members of Congress and donors have reached is not just about extending Biden’s presidency, but also about protecting democracy.

“This is a painful and difficult conclusion, but I am convinced that we will all be better served if the president steps down as the Democratic nominee and manages a transition on his terms,” Blumenauer said. “He has earned that right.”

Meanwhile, other Oregon Democrats and congressional candidates have remained silent or failed to wholeheartedly endorse Biden’s prospects or call for his removal. The Capital Chronicle sent questions this week to the state’s two U.S. senators, four Democratic members of Congress and Democratic congressional candidates Janelle Bynum and Maxine Dexter. Dexter did not respond, while Rep. Suzanne Bonamici sent a statement after publication.

The reluctance of most of the Oregon delegation to take a position on whether Biden should remain as the nominee mirrors national trends, with most congressional Democrats backtracking in response to Biden’s insistence that he would remain a candidate. Only eight other Democratic members of Congress, including Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, have publicly called on Biden to step down.

Oregon’s senior senator, Ron Wyden, responded to the Capital Chronicle with a two-sentence statement.

“I am proud of the results that Democrats and I have achieved with President Biden over the last four years here in Oregon and across the country,” he said. “The voters of our state and America returned Donald Trump for good reasons in 2020 and they will not rehire him in 2024.”

“Visibly annoyed”

But on Capitol Hill, Wyden was more direct. The Daily Beast reported Tuesday that Wyden was “visibly annoyed” that Biden and his advisers ignored his suggestions that the president should go out and meet with voters in impromptu town halls, like the ones Wyden holds every year in every county. Instead, Biden’s post-debate schedule has consisted mostly of scripted speeches.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, meanwhile, focused on former President and current Republican nominee Donald Trump, saying the election was a clear choice between democracy and autocracy.

“It’s up to President Biden to decide whether he’s going to stay in the race for 2024,” Merkley said. “He said he would. As long as he’s the nominee, I’m going to do everything I can to help him win.”

NPR reported Wednesday that Merkley said he shared concerns expressed by Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet in a closed-door meeting that Biden would lose in a “landfall” and cost Democrats the House and Senate.

“I think President Biden should review all of the information and have detailed conversations with key leaders, including Leader Schumer and Leader Jeffries, and do what’s best for the nation,” Merkley told NPR.

OUR QUESTIONS

The Capital Chronicle sent these questions to each of the six Democratic members of Oregon’s congressional delegation and two candidates. Do you still believe that President Biden is the best person to defeat Donald Trump? If so, what do you think he needs to do to convince uncertain voters? Otherwise, how do you think the party should handle the search for a new candidate? Are you concerned about how Biden’s poor polling could affect local elections in Oregon?

Bonamici, meanwhile, said she was still trying to decide the best path forward.

“Defeating Donald Trump remains my top priority,” Bonamici said. “I am currently in discussions with my constituents and colleagues to identify the best path forward so we can end the dangerous 2025 Project agenda and continue to build on the many successes of the Biden administration.”

Rep. Val Hoyle, who was elected in 2022 and faces a potentially difficult re-election campaign in the 4th Congressional District in southwestern Oregon, reiterated her support for the “Biden-Harris administration.”

“I support the Biden-Harris administration because it has been incredibly effective and Joe Biden has been the most pro-union president in the history of this country,” she said. “Trump and the Republicans running for the House of Representatives are more concerned about his downfall than they are about the security and prosperity of this country. At the end of the day, elections are about choices, and in this case, the choice is clear. Biden and his administration have supported us in Oregon and I am going to do everything I can to make sure we protect our democracy, and that means electing Democrats of all stripes.”

Hoyle also defended Biden in a July 5 interview with Eugene-based KVAL, calling his debate performance “terrible,” “disastrous” and “disappointing,” but said Biden was still the better choice.

“We have a man who said he would be a dictator from day one, who is undermining the integrity of our elections, versus Joe Biden who had a truly abysmal debate performance,” Hoyle said in that interview.

During that interview, she dodged a question about whether she was concerned about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump by asking why people weren’t calling for Trump to resign as the Republican nominee.

Rep. Andrea Salinas, meanwhile, said Biden should do the best thing for the country, without specifying what that would be.

“I believe President Biden should do what is best for the American people,” she said. “The reality is that we cannot afford four more years of chaos and tyranny under Donald Trump — and we must remain united in our efforts to defeat him and protect our democracy. In the meantime, I remain focused on getting re-elected so that I can continue to serve the people of the 6th District.”

Bynum, who is running against Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer in the state’s most competitive congressional district, declined to comment on Biden.

“This district, not the first one on the list, is my highest priority,” she said. “That’s why I’ve earned a reputation in the state as a results person. Unlike Lori Chavez-DeRemer, I’m prioritizing this work — delivering results for Oregonians. I’ll continue to focus on that.”

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Chronicle of the Oregon Capital

Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains its editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry with questions: [email protected]. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and X.