Declaring that “This election is bigger than any one person” and “the stakes are just too high,” first Congressional district nominee Christina Bohannan on July 11 called for President Joe Biden “to withdraw from this campaign and pass the torch to a new generation of leadership.”

The same day, the Democratic nominee in Iowa’s second Congressional district, Sarah Corkery, said the president should “pass the baton” to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Bohannan and Corkery were the first Iowa Democratic candidates to publicly endorse replacing the party’s presumptive presidential nominee. It’s a risky move that could appeal to independents who overwhelmingly disapprove of Biden’s job performance, but could also alienate the party faithful the challengers need to volunteer for and donate to their campaigns.

BOHANNAN CITES “GRAVE CONCERNS” ABOUT BIDEN

Here’s the full text of Bohannan’s statement, which the campaign sent to reporters and posted on social media feeds on the afternoon of July 11.

America deserves better than the choice for President we’re currently facing. This election is bigger than any one person. From protecting our reproductive rights and freedoms, to giving the middle class a fair shot, to defending our democracy – the stakes are just too high.

The easy thing to do at this moment would be to stay silent. After all, many Washington politicians, both Democrat and Republican, put allegiance to their party over the people they represent. It is time for a change. 

Over the past couple of weeks, people all across Iowa have shared with me their grave concerns about President Biden – that it seems he is not up to the task of a strong, vibrant campaign that will provide a compelling vision for our future. I owe it to them to speak my mind. It is time for President Biden to withdraw from this campaign and pass the torch to a new generation of leadership.

The campaign did not respond to Bleeding Heartland’s inquiry seeking to clarify whether Bohannan favors nominating Vice President Harris, or some other process for selecting a presidential candidate from a younger generation.

CORKERY SAYS HARRIS WILL FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY

The statement Corkery provided to news media and posted on Facebook praised Biden and his legacy, but implied he can’t run a winning campaign.

I have the utmost respect for President Biden. He was the right person to lead the country over the last four years and his legacy will be remembered forever. 

And now is the time for him to pass the baton to Vice President Kamala Harris. She will continue the fight to keep our democracy alive.

Lanon Baccam, who is running for Congress in the third district, has not recently commented on Biden’s prospects. He was the Biden campaign’s deputy state director for Iowa prior to the 2020 general election.

Ryan Melton, the Democratic nominee in the fourth Congressional district, told the Cedar Rapids Gazette on July 11, “I think it’s fair to question Biden’s fitness to serve a second term, just as I think it’s fair to question Trump’s. I think we deserve more transparency regarding medical records, cognitive tests, etc. from both.” Following the president’s live press conference that evening, Melton posted on X/Twitter that Biden “did well,” adding that he’d like to see the president hold more unscripted appearances, including “town halls with genuine q and a.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has put Bohannan and Baccam in its “Red to Blue” program, indicating it will target the IA-01 and IA-03 races against Republican incumbents Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, but will not spend significant resources backing either Corkery or Melton against their opponents (Ashley Hinson in IA-02 and Randy Feenstra in IA-04).

According to the Daily Kos Elections team’s calculations, Trump outpolled Biden in each of Iowa’s four current U.S. House districts. IA-03 was the closest, the two eastern Iowa districts were somewhat competitive, and IA-04 was a blowout.

• Voters in counties now part of IA-01 favored Trump by 50.5 percent to 47.6 percent
• Voters in counties now part of IA-02 favored Trump by 51.3 percent to 46.9 percent
• Voters in counties now part of IA-03 favored Trump by 49.3 percent to 48.9 percent
• Voters in counties now part of IA-04 favored Trump by 62.2 percent to 36.2 percent

TOP IOWA DEMOCRATS NOT ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT BIDEN

Bohannan and Corkery broke new ground on July 11, but even before then, the president lacked strong, unequivocal support from prominent Iowa Democrats.

State Auditor Rob Sand, the only Iowa Democrat currently holding a statewide office, did not respond to an inquiry from the Des Moines Register about the president. Although Sand is active on social media, he hasn’t weighed in there on whether Democrats should keep Biden at the top of the ticket.

When someone asked about Biden at Sand’s July 9 town hall meeting in Osceola (which I attended), the auditor declined to comment on campaign-related questions at an official event.

State party chair Rita Hart told the Des Moines Register, “President Biden understands the concerns and is taking the steps to address them. […] We have to win this year and Joe Biden has already defeated Donald Trump once.” That’s a supportive comment, but a weak one.

The party’s top state legislators sounded less convinced in their comments to the Register. Iowa Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum said, “It really is up to Joe Biden. The ball is in his court to make that final decision.” House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst emphasized the threat posed by Trump, adding, “Right now, our nominee is Joe Biden, and if he’s the nominee in November, he’s who I will support.”

That’s not the message you put out if you are certain Biden will be (or should be) the candidate.

WORTH THE RISK?

Some may argue Bohannan and Corkery made the right choice, in light of Biden’s abysmal polling in Iowa and abundant evidence that swing voters view the president as too old. Former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin declared the recent CNN debate “a disaster from which Biden cannot recover.”

The latest official figures indicate that voters affiliated with no party outnumber Democrats in both the first and second districts. Bohannan in particular seemed to be targeting independents by saying “many Washington politicians, both Democrat and Republican, put allegiance to their party over the people they represent.” Since the GOP has a slight voter registration advantage in IA-01, and Iowa Republicans typically turn out at higher rates than Democrats, Bohannan will need to carry independents to beat Miller-Meeks.

On the other hand, challengers need an energized Democratic base to have any chance of defeating a Congressional incumbent. Social media comments on the latest posts by Bohannan and Corkery were mostly negative, reflecting anger among rank-and-file activists that the candidates threw Biden under the bus. Granted, social media is not “real life.” But it’s usually not wise to upset people who would otherwise donate to and volunteer for your campaign.

Assuming Biden does not release his delegates, he will be the Democratic nominee. Then every public statement questioning his ability will become a weapon for Trump and other GOP candidates to use this fall.

Bohannan and Corkery made their views known before Biden’s July 11 press conference, which reassured some supporters but prompted other Democrats to go public with their preference for a new standard-bearer. If many more join their ranks, the president may reconsider—but probably not until after next week’s Republican National Convention.

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