Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney says she doesn’t think Biden will run for reelection

By Paul LeBlanc, CNN

Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York said Tuesday evening she doesn’t believe President Joe Biden will run for reelection in 2024, the latest Democrat to publicly cast doubt on a second Biden term.

“I don’t believe he’s running for reelection,” Maloney said when asked if the President should run again during a congressional primary debate in New York’s 12th district.

Responding to the same question, Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is running against Maloney following redistricting, said it’s “too early to say” and that it “doesn’t serve the purpose of the Democratic Party” to deal with the question until after midterms. Maloney’s other opponent, Suraj Patel, simply answered, “Yes.”

Democrats have privately shared concerns about Biden, who is 79 and struggling with poor approval ratings, running for a second term in the 2024 election. The President and his aides have pushed back on any idea that he won’t run for a second term, and most Democrats have publicly said they will support Biden if he runs for a second term.

Maloney told CNN on Wednesday that if Biden runs for reelection, she will back him.

“If he decides to run, I’m supporting him. I’m supporting him and I don’t have other comment,” Maloney said over the phone. “I think that he’s done a terrific job and most recently the inflation reduction plan. There are so many good things in it for the economy and for people. And I’m supporting him if he runs. OK?”

Pressed again on why she had said she didn’t believe Biden would run for reelection, Maloney reiterated: “I’m supporting him, if he runs. OK?”

A CNN poll out last month found 75% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters want the party to nominate someone other than Biden in the 2024 election, a sharp increase from earlier this year.

Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota went further than Maloney in an interview last week, stating he doesn’t want Biden to run for president in 2024.

“I have respect for Joe Biden. I think he has — despite some mistakes and some missteps, despite his age, I think he’s a man of decency, of good principle, of compassion, of empathy, and of strength. But to answer your question directly, which I know is quite rare, uh no, I don’t,” Phillips said an interview on the Chad Hartman radio show on WCCO-AM.

“I think the country would be well served by a new generation of compelling, well-prepared, dynamic Democrats to step up,” Phillips added.

This story has been updated with additional comments from Maloney.

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CNN’s MJ Lee and Daniella Diaz contributed to this report.