Sen. Jon Tester of Montana became the second Democratic senator to call for President Joe Biden to bow out of the presidential race Thursday.
“While I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term,” Tester said in a statement.
Tester is running for re-election in one of the most vulnerable Senate seats for Democrats this fall.
Tester said he has “worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong.”
Tester is only the second Democratic senator to call on Biden to bow out of the race, following Peter Welch of Vermont. Including Tester, 21 congressional Democrats have now called on Biden to exit the race.
Tester informed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of his plans before making a public statement, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Schumer told Tester to do what he thought was best.
The Montana senator’s comments come after he said in a July 8 statement that Biden “has got to prove to the American people — including me — that he’s up to the job for another four years.”
Representing a red state, Tester has criticized the president before, including on the timing of Biden’s border policies and the president’s Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
Jillian Frankel and Alex Tabet contributed.
