Arizona Democrat becomes second lawmaker to call for Joe Biden to leave presidential race

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PHOENIX - U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., has called on President Joe Biden to withdraw as the Democratic Party's White House nominee, making him the second sitting lawmaker to push for the incumbent to stand down after last week's faltering debate performance.

"What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race," Grijalva, an 11-term lawmaker, told the New York Times on Wednesday.

Grijalva's announcement follows Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, who on Tuesday became the first sitting lawmaker to urge Biden to step down.

Biden on Wednesday told nervous campaign staff that he will be the 2024 Democratic nominee and that he is not withdrawing from the race.