Joe Biden exits presidential race; Democrats in Lake County and The Villages react

An air of suspense hung over the humid July weekend in north central Florida as high-profile Democrats called on the president to drop out of the 2024 presidential race while he recovered from a recent bout of COVID-19 in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Early Sunday afternoon, phones nationwide dinged with notifications that President Joe Biden has indeed dropped out amid growing pressure from top Democrats.

Biden posted the news on social media about 2:24 p.m. on Sunday, July 21. In his post, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate against Republican former President Donald Trump.

Harris has made statements to the media that she's prepared to take on the mantle as the presidential candidate and is ready to take on Trump. Biden's choice is not a guarantee. Other Democrats who might desire the spot, such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, could compete, but they are unlikely to succeed, according to pundits such as CBS political correspondent Robert Costa.

"My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President," Biden said in his social media statement, "and it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this."

"I think Biden is a courageous man and he has always been known for doing what's best for country and party, and I think he did what was best," said Diane Foley, president of The Villages Democratic Club.

Is she supporting Harris as the Democratic nominee for president in 2024?

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"I think it's a little early, but I will vote for whoever is chosen to replace Biden," Foley responded.

Republican U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, whose district includes part of Lake County, had this to say:

“The Democrats' nominee will inherit the record of the Biden/Harris administration, soaring inflation, a border crisis, and a country deeply divided. Americans are less safe, less respected on the world stage, and overall less prosperous."

He continued: "The American people deserve a leader who is transparent, accountable, and committed to enacting policies that truly benefit our nation. The American people want President Trump in the White House to Make America Great Once Again!”

The Daily Commercial contacted the Lake County Democratic Party for reaction to the Biden news, but the party declined to comment until getting approval from the state party.

Treva Roberts, a Lady Lake town commissioner and vice chair of the Lake County Democratic Party, was asked why it's difficult to find vocal Democrats in Lake.

"You know, it's a very red county, certainly, but even with the games they played about marking people inactive, there's still about 76,000 or 77,000 Democrats in Lake County, which is not insignificant," Roberts said.

About 80% of Lake County registered voters turned out to vote in the 2020 election. Trump won 59.56% of the Lake vote. Biden got 39.52%.

Roberts acknowledged that Democrats often switch parties to vote in Florida's closed primaries. A U.S. military veteran, she's originally from Ohio and has belonged to the Lake County Democratic Party since 2018.

"I believe that there are more Democrats in Lake County and in Florida who will show up at the polls and vote in the November election," Roberts said.

"There are more than 20,000 Democrats in Lake County alone that are marked inactive on the rolls, and according to our software, they voted in the 2020 presidential election. I think they will show up again."

The party official expressed a common frustration that political campaigns can "drive wedges between people."

Reaction: Florida politicians respond after Joe Biden drops out of presidential race

"The reality is, as Americans, we are more similar and our values are more similar, and there are some issues we drive ourselves apart, and just keep this in mind: If you think about the razor's thin margin that Rick Scott won his senatorial seat by six years ago — which was barely over two people a precinct across the state — every person matters," Roberts said.

"I served in the military and I believe that participating in democracy is something that we are privileged to do and everybody should recognize and realize, especially in Florida, that their vote counts, and so get out and make your voice known."

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Democrats in The Villages, Lake County respond to Joe Biden leaving race