By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Following weeks of hand-wringing among Democratic Party leaders, President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race Sunday and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s new standard-bearer.
Party leaders urged Biden to leave the campaign trail after a disastrous performance during a presidential debate that concerned many Democrats, who feared he would be unable to defeat former President Trump.
On Guam, the local chapter of the Democratic Party announced that its delegation to the Democratic National Convention will pledge all of its 12 votes to Harris to be the party's presidential nominee at the August convention in Chicago.
"We believe that VP Harris will carry forward an agenda that will continue to fight for the rights of minorities, women’s reproductive freedom, support for small businesses, gender equality, civil rights & justice reform, and investing in communities to strengthen the middle class. We are proud that as a fellow Asian American, her values align with our broader Asian Pacific culture," the Democratic Party said in a statement.
“I am proud to announce, from where American’s day begins, that Guam Democrats stand united in supporting Vice President Kamala Harris as our Party’s nominee," said Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, chair of Guam’s delegation.
Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio said Harris "possesses the strength and capability to unite our nation and, ultimately, defeat Donald Trump in November."
“Guam is the first territorial delegation to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. Today, our Democratic delegation has demonstrated leadership by uniting behind Kamala Harris to safeguard our democracy and the rights and freedoms Americans have fought for," Tenorio said.
In a statement earlier today, the Democratic Party of Guam praised Biden for his "statesmanship" and for "putting the future of our nation before his own."
"We are grateful to President Biden for being a champion for progress, Democratic values, and most of all – the people of the territories. Under President Biden, Guam has received the largest aid packages for economic relief, infrastructure, and climate change to name a few and a special line to the White House with an Advisor solely dedicated to the interests and needs of the territories.
"In addition to supporting the future Democratic nominee for president, Guam Democrats will continue to champion Democratic candidates for mayor, legislature and delegate to Congress,” the Democratic Party said.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, a Democrat, said Biden "is truly an honorable President, and we are thankful for his service to the nation. We continue to appreciate his ongoing work to improve the lives of Americans in every state and territory throughout the country.
"Though he has chosen to withdraw his name from nomination, he has placed the country ahead of any other interest. The work to which he has committed his life will not end. Democrats work to expand the circle of economic opportunity for everyone willing to work for it. We give voice to the left out and the left behind, and we work to put government on the side of the powerless, not the powerful. This is the work of our Party—and God willing, it will be the work of our future nominee," Leon Guerrero said.
Ginger Cruz, Democratic candidate for Guam delegate, expressed "profound gratitude for President Biden’s lifelong service to the nation."
"While President Biden will not seek a second term, I am certain that he will finish his term in the White House with the same dignity and quiet strength that has been a hallmark of his career," she said.
"While the Democratic Party will soon officially choose our nominee in Chicago, our hope must be that we remain united: united by the people who we are fighting for. Americans everywhere are bound together by common hopes and dreams. Our party — the people’s party — is at its best when we work in service of those aspirations," Cruz added.
"As the only Guam candidate to verbalize how the Democratic presidential race was an example of the trouble our presidential selection process was in, the withdrawal of President Biden from the upcoming presidential election further affirms my capabilities in navigating Guam through complicated national politics," congressional candidate Michael San Nicolas said.
"Going forward we can expect a democratic convention that will be quite lively, and I anticipate additional surprises as the event unfolds intended to energize an inclusive democratic process necessary for a healthy two-party presidential election," San Nicolas said. "This is good for the country, good for democracy, and good for Guam."
Shawn Gumataotao, chairman of the Republican Party of Guam, issued the following statement: “The news of Joe Biden ending his respective bid for president of the United States is something not seen in American Politics. For weeks, Democrats from across America have been calling for Joe Biden to go, but it appears no one in the Democrat party has any real sense of how to do this. All eyes will be on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois which start on Aug. 19-- 16 days after the 2024 Guam primary election. Big change is coming in November.”
At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III said Biden has a secure place in American history as one of our great foreign-policy presidents.
"He positioned America to succeed in our strategic competition with the People's Republic of China; he dramatically strengthened U.S. posture in the Indo-Pacific; he bolstered, united, and expanded NATO; he shored up Israel's security after Hamas's vile Oct. 7th terrorist assault and worked tirelessly to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza; he ended America's longest war; he helped the United States and the world recover from the Covid pandemic that killed more than a million Americans," Austin said.
He noted that Biden launched the historic trilateral AUKUS partnership to make the Indo-Pacific region more secure.
"As commander in chief, President Biden has shown his profound and personal commitment to the Department of Defense and the American military. Under his leadership, the most recent National Defense Authorization Act supports an historic $841 billion in funding for the Department of Defense—and helps ensure that the U.S. military will remain the strongest fighting force on Earth," the defense secretary said.
"President Biden has always understood that America's greatest strategic advantage is our people, and he has sought to make America even stronger and more secure by drawing on the full talents of all of our citizenry," he added.
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