Alabama lawmakers react to Biden stepping down as Democratic nominee

President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he would not be accepting the Democratic Party nomination for president next month. He has also given his endorsement to Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place on the ticket.

Here's what Alabama's lawmakers said about Biden's decision.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville released a statement calling for Biden to resign from office in addition to stepping down as the nominee. "Democrats and the complicit media must be held accountable for this massive cover-up," he said. "If Joe Biden is unfit to run again, he is unfit to hold the nuclear codes. I join my colleagues in demanding that President Biden resign immediately.”

Sen. Katie Britt

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt took to X, formerly Twitter, to bash Harris and promote the Trump-Vance ticket. "This administration’s 'border czar' is the last person who should be entrusted with our nation’s future," she said. "Kamala Harris is even more radical on border and immigration policies than Joe Biden."

Rep. Phillip Ensler

Alabama House Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, gave his endorsement to Harris on Facebook and said that his heart was "immensely heavy" to hear the Biden is stepping down. "As a delegate at the Democratic National Convention, I look forward to enthusiastically supporting the new Democratic ticket."

More: Joe Biden drops out of 2024 race and endorses Kamala Harris: Live updates

Rep. Jerry Carl

Rep. Jerry Carl of Alabama's 1st Congressional District said that Biden's stepping down made it a "great day for America." He followed up with asking "how long until he pardons Hunter?"

Rep. Barry Moore

Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama's 2nd Congressional district criticized Harris' leadership regarding the U.S.-Mexico border on X. "Kamala Harris is the Border Czar," he said. "More than NINE MILLION illegal aliens have come across our southern border and endangered American families under her leadership."

Moore's district was heavily affected by the state's congressional map being redrawn. He won the Republican nomination for the state's 1st Congressional District in March, unseating Carl, to run against Democratic opponent Tom Holmes in November. The nominees for the redrawn district are Caroleene Dobson and Shomari Figures.

Rep. Gary Palmer

Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama’s 6th Congressional District criticized Biden’s mental state and said that no matter who the new nominee is, they’ll still promote policies he disagrees with.“The question now is whether or not he has the ability to continue to serve as President, he said,” what the American people should clearly understand is that it doesn't matter who the Democrats choose because whoever they choose will continue to push policies that will keep the cost of living too high, leave our border open, and make our communities less safe."

Victor Hagan is the Alabama Election Reporting Fellow for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at vhagan@gannett.com or on X @TheVictorHagan. To support his work, subscribe to the Advertiser.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama lawmakers react to Biden stepping down as Democratic nominee