Colfax County Democratic Party chairman withdraws support for Biden over funding of Israel war

Jan. 16—The top-ranking Democrat in northeastern New Mexico's Colfax County withdrew his support for President Joe Biden last week over what he said was the president's enabling of a "genocide" in the Gaza Strip.

"I can't be complicit in the Democratic Party of New Mexico's efforts to reelect President Joe Biden, given the continued monetary support for the slaughter and entrapment of innocents that is much worse than anything former President [Donald] Trump did (to my knowledge)," county Democratic Party Chairman Will Weir wrote in an email to party members.

Weir offered to step down from his position but said his decision has been well-received, and he predicted in an interview the Democratic Party will face "massive resistance" if it remains in lockstep with Biden.

The Biden administration's support for Israel over the war in Gaza, which reached its 100th day Sunday, has divided many Democrats nationwide and in New Mexico.

As the central committee of the Democratic Party of New Mexico geared up in December to vote on a resolution that called for a cease-fire and pause to all U.S. military aid to Israel, some party leaders across the state condemned inhumane conditions in Gaza while others blasted Hamas and asserted Israel's right to defend itself.

Hamas, Gaza's governing body, sparked the war when its militants attacked Israel in early October, killing at least 1,200 people and taking about 240 others hostage. Since then, Israel has killed more than 24,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The war has displaced about 90% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million and placed them at risk of widespread famine and disease, according to the United Nations.

The state Democratic Party either postponed or canceled central committee members' vote on the cease-fire resolution, which had been proposed by committee member Samia Assed of Albuquerque, because "a complaint regarding the timeline and process of considering this proposed Resolution was filed with the DPNM Judicial Council," party spokesman Daniel Garcia wrote in an email late last month.

The vote "may proceed" following the Judicial Council's review of the complaint, Garcia wrote at the time. He declined last week to provide a copy of the complaint or an estimated timeline for the review.

State Democratic Party Executive Director Sean Ward did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Weir's withdrawal of support for Biden.

Weir, who lives outside Raton, said he acted on his own behalf, rather than on behalf of the Colfax County Democratic Party, in pulling support for Biden. He said reactions to his decision have been "overwhelmingly positive."

Weir, 58, said he assumed the position of county chairman two years ago when he "stepped forward where nobody else would." Although he offered to step down, he said no one has come forward to replace him.

As a result, Weir intends to continue participating in some party events but will drop any efforts to reelect Biden this year.

Weir will not support either Biden or Trump, contending both threaten democracy.

"Killing people is not democracy," he explained. "If you look at the numbers and the suffering [in Gaza] — 2 million displaced people in circumstances of starvation and, in this cold weather, with inadequate cover — I don't know. It's very hard to find anything that Trump did that was complicit at that level."

The notion Democrats must support Biden to stop Trump "leaves out healthy decision-making processes" and stifles creativity, Weir said.

"We don't need to lose hope," he said. "Nobody ever has to support genocide."

Thomas Kovach, a Colfax County Democratic Party member who applauded Weir's stance, said he hopes enough people speak out against Biden's support for Israel that the president will change course.

"Without President Biden, [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] couldn't go forward" with his military campaign in Gaza, Kovach said.

"Somebody needs to speak up before it's too late," he added. "We could lose hundreds of thousands of people if we don't act quickly."