A former Democratic Party presidential candidate and longtime congressman is calling for Vice President Kamala Harris to replace President Joe Biden as the party's presumptive presidential nominee for this year's general election.
Former Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who ran for his party's presidential nomination in 2020, said the 81-year-old Biden should be replaced at the top of the Democratic Party ticket following his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump last week.
"Joe Biden's debate performance was deeply troubling," Ryan wrote in a Newsweek opinion piece. "But it isn't just about a 90-minute debate and a terrible performance. This election needs to be about generational change—something about which I have been shouting for more than a year now."
Ryan said he previously liked seeing Biden as "a bridge President to the next generation."
"Regrettably, that bridge collapsed last week," Ryan wrote. "Witnessing Joe Biden struggle was heartbreaking. And we must forge a new path forward."
Many Democrats and donors have called on Biden to step aside as the party's presumptive nominee after Thursday's debate.
A Suffolk University/USA Today survey released Monday showed that nearly one-third of voters are more inclined to support Trump following the first presidential debate, while most respondents believe Democrats should consider replacing Biden.
Ryan becomes the latest Democrat to call for a change atop the Democrat ticket.
"I ran for President in 2020. I was the first Presidential candidate to endorse Joe Biden in 2020. I love America. I love our Party. I love Joe Biden," Ryan wrote.
"The Democratic Nominee in 2024 should be Kamala Harris."
Ryan says his stance resulted after several days of "deep reflection."
"I supported Joe because I believe he is a good and honorable man. I'm still very happy with my decision," Ryan wrote. "He is the most pro-union, pro-manufacturing president in my lifetime. He understands the working class people—regardless of race or gender—that I represented in my Northeast Ohio Congressional District for 20 years."
The former lawmaker touted Harris' effort in spinning Biden's debate effort.
"Kamala was the highlight of a historically dreadful night," Ryan wrote in his column. "Across cable news stations, the Vice President's performance was stellar, a ray of light in the darkness."
Ryan also directed a message to Harris' critics.
"Those who say that a Harris candidacy is a greater risk than the Joe Biden we saw the other night and will continue to see are not living in reality. It is not just utterly preposterous for the haters to say that, it is insulting," he wrote.
"Vice President Harris could carry a much more convincing Democratic message than President Biden, especially on the abortion issue, which will be a decisive topic in the fall. She would boldly tell Donald Trump that his hands have been on enough women's bodies without their consent and ensure that American women are protected from his attempts to control their health care decisions."