In an April 11 interview, Los Gatos Town Councilmember Rob Moore—who was seeking a delegate spot on the guest list at the Democratic National Convention—said unless something “drastic” shifted, he expected President Joe Biden to continue seeking reelection.
Since then, there were several key developments: Moore secured his place at the Chicago event; Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt; and, on Sunday—after a dismal debate performance and a series of gaffes—Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the race.
“A lot has changed over the past few months,” Moore said in a telephone interview. “I think that Joe Biden has made a very courageous decision today.”
Just a couple hours earlier, Biden posted his decision on Twitter, with a photo of a letter in which he talked up accomplishments like passing climate change legalization and reducing drug costs of seniors, while expressing his “heartfelt appreciation” to the American people for trusting him with the top job in the land.
Moore, the youngest member of Los Gatos Town Council, will now have the opportunity to vote for the Democrats that will run against Trump, who is currently leading by a healthy margin, according to many polls.
But the overall thrust of the campaign has not changed, added Moore, who was already serving as a state delegate.
“What I care most about is defeating the existential threat that Donald Trump poses to our country,” he said, noting he believes running Vice President Kamala Harris will be the Democratic Party’s best shot at retaining the White House.
However, he doesn’t think she should be a shoo-in.
“I don’t think it should just be a coronation,” he said, explaining he’d like to see a process play out that allows people to make their case for who the new leader should be. “I haven’t endorsed anyone, but I believe that the nominee will be Kamala Harris.”
In his view, this will inject some positive energy into the race.
“It is going to be fascinating,” he said.
Former Saratoga councilmember Rishi Kumar will also be a delegate at the DNC. He been publicly calling for Biden to step down for months—including on CNN.
Writing on Twitter Sunday, Kumar saluted Biden’s determination and commended him for “prioritizing the country and the party” over his own ambition.
“The Democratic Party now needs to do damage control,” said Kumar, who has endorsed Gavin Newsom. “Let the best candidate emerge!”
Rep. Anna Eshoo said she learned Biden was giving up his campaign the same way everyone else did.
“I had just left mass and turned my phone on, and there was the announcement,” she said in an interview Monday. “It was a great act of patriotism.”
“I’ve known Joe Biden for about 40 years,” she said. “I believe that historians will treat his presidency as one of the most consequential presidencies in the history of our country.”
Eshoo recalled meeting with Biden in the Oval Office in March 2021, when he urged lawmakers to launch an effort to get yet untamed diseases under control.
“I went right back up to the Hill and began working on it,” she said. “He signed my legislation into law in the last Congress, establishing a new advanced research agency called ARPA-H.”
On Monday night, in a virtual meeting with party leaders, Moore committed to voting for Harris at the convention.
