More Democrats representing key constituencies call on Biden to step down from 2024 race

Washington — Four more House Democrats and one Democratic senator have joined the growing ranks of their colleagues urging President Biden to drop his reelection bid, as the pressure campaign against the president shows no sign of subsiding weeks after his disastrous performance in last month's presidential debate.

The four House members — Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Marc Veasey of Texas, Chuy Garcia of Illinois and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin — issued a joint statement Friday calling on Mr. Biden to "pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders." Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico soon became the third Senate Democrat to urge Mr. Biden withdraw from the campaign.

Two of the representatives, Veasey and Garcia, are part of key caucuses on Capitol Hill whose support Mr. Biden has courted and held onto as he tries to quell concerns about his fitness for a second term. Veasey is a member of Congressional Black Caucus and Garcia is in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.