With news that President Joe Biden had dropped out of the race, leaders at the local, state, and national levels reacted — with some Republicans saying dropping out is a disservice to primary voters and some Democrats speculating on what’s next for the party.

“It’s time to pass the torch, our leadership has spoken about it up in Washington,” said Ruben Zarate, chair of the Fresno County Democratic Party. “The rumors have been circling …  ever since the debate.”

My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

Democrats Praise Biden’s Time in Office

Former California Assemblymember and current congressional candidate Rudy Salas of Bakersfield said he respected Biden for “putting the needs of the country ahead of his own self-interest.”

Salas also praised the president for his accomplishments in office.

“Under President Biden’s leadership, seniors were able to access affordable diabetes medicine, and America made significant investments in our roads, chips manufacturing, and water infrastructure projects that will help all Americans, including those here in the Central Valley,” said Salas, who is challenging incumbent Rep. David Valadao.

Related Story: President Joe Biden Drops Out of the 2024 Presidential Race

Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria (D-Merced) thanked Biden for his service.

“Your extraordinary leadership helped us navigate our most contemporary challenges,” Soria said on X.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Biden fought hard for working people and delivered astonishing results.

“He will go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents,” Newsom said in a statement.

Republicans Say Move ‘Invalidated’ 14 Million Votes

In a statement, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said it was the Democratic Party that forced Biden off the ballot.

“Having invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe Biden to be the Democrat nominee for president, the self-proclaimed ‘party of democracy’ has proven exactly the opposite,” Johnson said.

Johnson went on to say that if Biden is unfit to run, he’s unfit to stay in office.

David Tangipa, a Republican candidate for an open Assembly seat, echoed Johnson’s statements.

“Today’s announcement is insulting to the people who cast their vote for Biden in the March primary,” Tangipa said. “This demonstrates that the voters didn’t have the opportunity to choose their candidate, the democratic elite decided for them.”

DNC Less Than a Month Away

With the Democratic National Convention less than a month away, Zarate predicted the delegate vote for the next candidate would be held in Chicago, as traditionally done.

There had been rumors that the roll call vote would take place before the event scheduled Aug. 19 to Aug. 22.

Biden said on X he would endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as his party’s nominee.

A delegate himself, Zarate said if Harris was the nominee, he would vote for her.

Related Story: As Dem Elites Question Biden, Fresno Delegates Support President

“She’s the frontrunner right now, so at this point, I would say she’s a horse in the race and we will back her up,” Zarate said.

Former State Center Community College District Trustee Eric Payne is a Democratic delegate. He said he would learn more as the convention nears.

Payne said Biden in one term was able to bring inflation and unemployment down.

Payne stood behind Harris.

“Vice President Harris has been an incredible leader and recent polling numbers show her beating Trump,” Payne said. “I look forward to learning more about her VP nominee.”

(GV Wire’s David Taub and Anthony W. Haddad contributed to this story.)