North Dakota Democrats running for federal office call on Biden to withdraw

Democratic-NPL candidates Trygve Hammer, left, and Katrina Christiansen listen to speakers at the party's convention in Fargo on April 5, 2024. Hammer is running for U.S. House; Christiansen for U.S. Senate. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)

North Dakota Democratic-NPL candidates running for federal office are calling on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.

U.S. Senate candidate Katrina Christiansen said Biden is failing to show an ability to defeat former President Donald Trump. She added Republicans need Biden to stay on top of the ticket because he is their “boogeyman.”  

“If he’s gone, I think it’s hard to run on nothing,” Christiansen said Friday in an interview with the North Dakota Monitor.

Dem-NPL U.S. House candidate Trygve Hammer said in a statement he thinks Democrats need a new candidate for president.

“After speaking with North Dakotans around the state and hearing their concerns about his candidacy, it’s clear we have a leadership crisis in this country,” Hammer said. “I swore to support and defend the Constitution, not any particular party member or person, I want what’s best for the country and North Dakota, and right now, I believe that means a different candidate at the top of the ticket.”

The candidates joined a group of Democratic U.S. lawmakers who have called on Biden to step aside after what some considered a disastrous first debate performance, according to States Newsroom. 

Christiansen accused Trump of being dishonest and aligning with some of the world’s dictators. 

“We actually need a leader that’s interested in serving the people with all of the abilities that a president should have,” Christiansen said. “Honesty is one of them and the ability to think on your feet is another.”

She added she believes Biden’s four years in office have been positive for the nation’s economic growth, unemployment rate and investments in innovation, but his abilities have waned.

“I don’t want to pile on an old man,” she said. “I want to be very clear that this isn’t about ageism, it’s about ability.”

Christiansen is challenging Republican incumbent Sen. Kevin Cramer in the November election. Hammer will face off against Republican candidate Julie Fedorchak for the state’s at-large U.S. House seat.

Dem-NPL gubernatorial candidate Merrill Piepkorn said he didn’t want to comment on the calls for Biden to withdraw from the race. He said North Dakota Democrats elected committeemen and women at their nominating convention to serve as the state’s representatives at the Democratic National Convention, which puts the decision in their hands.

“I’m not going to engage in this speculation. I’m just going ahead with my own positive campaign for what we’re going to do for North Dakota and not get wrapped up in this stuff,” Piepkorn said. 

Piepkorn is running against Republican U.S. House Rep. Kelly Armstrong and independent candidate Michael Coachman in the November general election.

During the 2020 presidential election, Trump defeated Biden in North Dakota and won the state with more than 65% of the vote. In 2016, Trump won nearly 63% of the vote in North Dakota and defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to win the state’s three electoral votes.

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