US representative Raul Grijalva became the second congressional Democrat to call for US president Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race on Wednesday, as the fallout from his shaky performance at Thursday's debate continues.
"If he's the candidate, I'm going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere," Mr Grijalva, a progressive who represents a district in southern Arizona along the border with Mexico, told The New York Times.
Neither Mr Grijalva's office nor Mr Biden's campaign immediately returned requests for comment. Mr Biden is set to meet with Democratic governors on Wednesday to try to reassure them of his fitness to run against Republican former president Donald Trump in the November 5th election.
Representative Lloyd Doggett became the first congressional Democrat to call for Mr Biden to step down on Tuesday.
Representative Jim Clyburn, a long-time Biden ally, said he would back a “mini-primary” in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention next month if Mr Biden were to leave the race.
Mr Clyburn, of South Carolina, floated an idea that appeared to be laying the groundwork for alternatives by delegates during the Democrats’ planned virtual roll call that is scheduled before the more formal party convention.
“You can actually fashion the process that’s already in place to make it a mini-primary and I would support that,” Mr Clyburn told CNN.
He said vice president Kamala Harris, governors and others could join the competition. “It would be fair to everybody … because if she were to be the nominee, we need to have a running mate. And need a strong running mate.”
Mr Clyburn, a senior lawmaker who is a former member of his party’s House leadership team, said he has not personally seen the president act as he did on the debate stage last week.
“I saw what I saw last Thursday night, and it is concerning,” he said.
Some suggested Ms Harris was emerging as the favourite to replace Mr Biden if he was to withdraw, although those involved in private discussions acknowledge that governors Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan remain viable alternatives. But for some insiders, Ms Harris is viewed as the best prospect to quickly unify the party and avoid a messy and divisive convention fight.
