Officials were reacting to President Joe Biden's announcement that he will not seek re-election.
Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Hendrell Remus said, "In 2020, while everyone around me was choosing sides and lining up behind their preferred Democratic candidates for President, I patiently awaited the entry of Vice President Joe Biden into the race. Once Vice President Biden entered the race, I was locked in and vowed that I was Ridin’ with Biden come hell or high water.
"Today, as President Joseph R. Biden announces his intention not to seek re-election, I am saddened but I am forever proud of having supported the man who defeated Donald Trump and restored hope in America. President Biden delivered for the American people on election night in 2020 and every day during his term in office. Our nation is better today because President Biden served.
"The next Democratic President will inherit a historic record of accomplishments to build on. Our party must do everything in its power to ensure that we protect President Biden’s legacy while fighting to make the lives of ordinary people better.
"At this critical moment with so much on the line, we must unite as a party and deliver for the American people. The path ahead is clear. We have one objective and that is to make sure that Donald Trump does not return to the White House. Mr. President, we will carry out the mission and finish the job of building back better."
Tennessee Rep. Diana Harshbarger said, "Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection confirms what I and many of my colleagues have known for years: Joe Biden is unfit to lead.
"Though Democrats and the media have ignored the President’s rapid decline in mental and physical health for months, his decision to drop out of the race is an overt admission of his poor condition and his inability to serve out the rest of his term as President of the United States.
"I could not agree more with President Trump and Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance who have repeatedly said that if Joe Biden is not fit to run for reelection, he is not fit to be commander-in-chief."
Hamilton County Democrats said in a statement, "President Biden's decision to step aside and endorse VP Kamala Harris demonstrates his ongoing commitment to the country, and his belief that it's not about him, it's about us. President Biden saved democracy in 2020, he saved countless lives through his handling of Covid, he selected a Black woman for the Supreme Court, and he brought us back to a thriving economy, with record job growth and low unemployment, he expanded NATO, and stood up for democracy across the globe! For all he has given, we thank him.
"But the objective remains clear. Defeating Donald Trump, and saving democracy is the singular goal. We know that Vice President Harris is the right person to lead us to victory on Nov. 5 to continue to build upon the progress of the Biden/Harris administration: to reform the Supreme Court, to support organized labor, to protect voters rights, and to make sure that women all across this county have access to the reproductive healthcare that they need and deserve."
Hamilton County Democratic Party Chair Rachel Campbell said, “President Biden has put his country over his ambition and we will come together to continue the work that the Biden/Harris administration began. We look forward to putting the work in to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, and electing Kamala Harris for President!”
Congressional Candidate Jack Allen said, “President Biden has served this country well, and I am grateful for his many years of service. Today he made the selfless decision to not seek reelection. I believe this decision was made with the best interest of the American people in mind. In our most trying times as a nation it is the moments that our leaders have put country above self that have truly defined the American spirit. This will certainly be yet another one of those defining moments in our history.”