Democrats in key down ballot races anxious amid calls for Biden to step aside
WASHINGTON - As the political world watches to see how President Joe Biden performs in his news conference Thursday night, Democratic candidates down ballot this November are feeling concerned.
One of those pivotal races is for Maryland’s U.S. Senate seat, which candidates Larry Hogan and Angela Alsobrooks are vying for.
Neither Allsobrooks, the Prince George's County Executive who is the Democratic Senate candidate nor former Maryland Gov. Hogan, the Republican nominee, are calling for the president to end his campaign.
Hogan was in Hyattsville Thursday for a campaign stop to talk about public safety. He says it's up to Biden to decide what to do, unlike a growing number of prominent Democrats.
Alsobrooks seems poised to support the president until he decides otherwise. This is a totally contested race to fill the seat of retiring Democrat Sen. Ben Cardin.
FOX 5’s Bob Barnard asked Hogan today what he makes of the mess at the top of the Democrat ticket.
"This is not something new and it didn’t just happen when this debate took place. I’ve said for probably a year or year and a half that he should consider not running for these very same reasons — that I didn’t think he was going to be a great candidate and he wasn’t capable," Hogan said. "Not to take anything away from him personally but he’s just not the same Joe Biden that I worked with while he was vice president while I was governor during the Obama administration."
RELATED: Alsobrooks, Hogan both vow to steer clear of negativity in Maryland Senate campaigns
Hogan’s statement echos the thoughts of many who have become more outspoken about Biden’s fitness to serve since his June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump.
Along with many Republican voices, several top-ranking Democrats in Congress have called for Biden to exit the race.
So far, there’s been no unanimity on what should be done and Election Day is less than four months away, leaving the Democratic party in a precipitous position.
"I mean, quite frankly, national politics is a mess," Hogan said. "I’m like two-thirds of the people in America who don’t feel that these are the two best choices that we can come up with. Not the two best people in America to serve in the White House. My campaign is going to focus on Maryland. I’ve said I’m willing to stand up to the current president or the former president or the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. I’m only running because I’m so frustrated with the broken politics in Washington."
"It’s a perfect example of it — this presidential race. But I’m going to focus on Maryland and try to just stand up and do what I think is right for all of the people," said Hogan. "It’s a real mess. I think most people in the country are very concerned about."
Executive Alsobrooks declined FOX 5’s request for an interview but in a statement to FOX 5, her campaign wrote, "Our freedoms are directly on the ballot in November. That's why it's essential for Joe Biden to defeat Donald Trump and for us to win this Maryland Senate seat to keep the Democratic majority."