Adam Frisch, the Democrat from Aspen running for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, has called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the race.
Frisch will face Grand Junction Republican Jeff Hurd in the general election in November. He ran against Republican Incumbent Lauren Boebert of Silt in 2022, and lost by only 546 votes. Boebert is now running for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, which makes up much of the state’s Eastern Plains.
Questions about President Biden’s age and efficacy have been circulating since his debate with former President Donald Trump last week.
In an interview with Aspen Public Radio, Frisch shared concerns about Biden’s age, as well as Trump’s age. He said both the national Democratic and Republican parties have other, younger candidates who would focus on issues more important to the nation.
“We have a water crisis going on in western and southern Colorado, we have a mental health crisis in western and southern Colorado, and both presidents want to have an argument on who the better golfer is,” he said. “Shame on both of them.”
Frisch said he’s heard from voters across the district who aren’t thrilled with either of their choices in November.
“Across the board, I would say 90% of them were shaking their heads at the choice the country faces,” he said.
He also voiced concerns that the president’s inner circle were not being honest about Biden’s condition, nor were they honest about his chances at winning in November.
Frisch wouldn’t, however, speculate on who might take Biden’s place as the Democratic nominee.
“All I know is that both parties have a lot of deep bench options with a new focus on a lot of really important issues that neither of these presidents are addressing,” he said. “I’m not focused on who those other options are, there’s a lot of good ones out there, and my job is not to pick that person or get involved, my preference from day one is I'm going to focus on CD3.”
But, Frisch said, he felt it was important to at least make a statement on what he believed was right.
“I’m standing up for what I believe is the best path forward on the presidential side,” he said.
Frisch joins U.S. Representative Democrat Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), former U.S. Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH), and the editorial boards of the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution in calling for Biden to drop out of the race.
Democratic leadership in the House like Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Jim Clyburn (D-SC) haven’t called on Biden to withdraw, but have said concerns about his debate performance are “legitimate.”
