After politically fractious week, Virginia Democrats go to bat for Joe Biden's re-election

RICHMOND – Following a week where apparent cracks began showing in party unity behind President Joe Biden’s re-election bid, key Virginia Democrats − as well as the president himself − started the new week by trying to seal up those breaks.

On Monday, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, reiterated his support for Biden during an appearance in downtown Richmond. Similarly, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus issued a statement backing “shared policy positions” among them, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and one Virginia representative pledged full commitment to Biden, "our party's nominee."

Topping it off, Biden told Congressional Democrats in a letter that he was “firmly committed to staying in this race” despite concerns raised about his age (81) and mental acumen for a second term.

Recent polls nationwide show Biden trailing presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump in many battleground states. In Virginia, also a battleground state, polling has put Biden even with Trump, his White House predecessor.

Biden’s bad showing in the first presidential debate with Trump on June 27 ignited concerns about age-related dulling of his cognitive ability. While Republicans had been touting it, some Democrats – both publicly and privately – began to acknowledge concerns that Biden should step aside in the campaign.

In Virginia, reports surfaced over the weekend that Sen. Mark Warner was quietly putting together a coalition of Democratic colleagues to approach Biden with the suggestion to step down. Reps. Don Beyer and Gerry Connolly, who represent traditionally blue northern Virginia, were both linked to possible moves along the same vein, both issued public statements supporting the president.

‘Disappointed ... not surprised’

Speaking after a tour of J. Sargent Reynolds Community College’s downtown Richmond campus, Kaine was asked about Warner and the reports.

“I was disappointed in it,” Virginia’s junior senator said. “If you have a conversation with 20 U.S. senators, you kind of have to expect it might get out. So, I was disappointed maybe, not completely surprised.”

Kaine, opposed for a third term this November by Republican Hung Cao, spent last week on a campaign swing through the state looking to reassure supporters that Democrats were not treading water by sticking with Biden. During the swing’s kickoff in Petersburg, local Democrats urged Kaine to push his colleagues to “turn down the noise” on talk of leaving Biden behind.

Monday morning, Kaine pointed to oft-repeated comments he made during the swing calling Biden “a patriotic American.” He said he has had conversations with fellow Democrats, including Warner, but he declined to share what he said.

“Far be it from me to tell any elected official what their opinion should be or what they should say,” Kaine said. “I’m not going to comment on what anyone else is saying. I’ve said what I think.”

He added he has also had conversations with the White House “but I’m just going to keep those conversations to myself.” But he confirmed that he has not spoken specifically recently with Harris. Should the president decide to not seek re-election, Harris would be among the top Democrats to lead the ticket.

'Demonstrated their values'

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, mostly African American Democrats in the General Assembly, sought to put to rest any dissention with the direction of the party under Biden. The president and vice president, VLBC said, “have demonstrated their values.

“They have fought for and won policies that protect real, working-class people from exploitative corporate interests in the pharmaceutical industry, overwhelming student debt, and the threats our changing climate brings,” the statement read. A Trump presidency “would set us back a generation,” but a second term for Biden would promote the future.

“The person who we elevate to lead us as a nation must have respect for the democratic process that empowers them to make decisions for the good of the people,” VLBC said. “The only candidate we trust with this responsibility is Joe Biden.”

The confidence vote is seen as pivotal in efforts to keep Virginia in the Democratic column where it has been since Barack Obama’s first election in 2008.

'Our party's nominee'

Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Virginia, the first Black woman ever elected to Congress from the commonwealth, issued her own statement of support for Biden. McClellan's statement did not address any concerns about age or mental stability. Instead, she said she backed a Biden-Harris ticket because of "how much is at stake" in the election.

“I stand with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to continue their historic progress to protect our freedoms, build an economy that leaves no one behind, and address the threat of climate change," her statement read. "We must re-elect President Biden and stop Donald Trump from bringing his anti-democracy, anti-reproductive freedom and anti-health care access policies back to the White House."

McClellan concluded her statement by vowing to "work every day to support Joe Biden, our party’s nominee, and do the work necessary to win in November.”

McClellan's 4th congressional district includes the Tri-City and metro Richmond areas.

A ‘deep obligation’

In the Monday morning letter to Democrats released by the Biden campaign, the president took note of what he called “good-faith fears” among Democrats about his future. “I’m not blind to them,” he said.

“I would not be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024,” he wrote.

While the letter did not rehash Biden’s earlier explanations for his bad showing in the debate – he was tired, he was fighting a bad cold, he was being distracted by off-mic comments by Trump – it did note that with 42 days to the Democratic convention in Chicago and 119 days to the November election, “any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us.”

At the same time, though, Biden said party members nationwide have spoken and have chosen him “fairly” as the Democratic nominee. The letter’s most fiery rhetoric focused on that, saying the president has “a deep obligation to the faith and the trust” the grassroots supporters have given him.

He did not call out any specific names of detractors, but he did throw shade on them.

“It was [voters’] decision to make. Not the press, not the pundits, not the big donors, not any selected group of individuals, no matter how well-intentioned,” Biden wrote. “The voters – and the voters alone – decide the nominee of the Democratic Party. How can we stand for democracy as a nation if we ignore it in our own party? I cannot stand for that. I will not stand for that.”

Related: Congress returns to Capitol Hill: Here are the five members calling Biden to step aside

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Biden's re-election hopes bolstered by key Virginia Democrats