In the Keystone State, Oct. 21 is the last day to register to vote before the Nov. 5 election. (vesperstock/Adobe Stock)
Danielle Smith – Keystone State News Service
In a weekend turn of events that some saw as shocking, President Joe Biden told the nation he’s dropping out of the presidential race rather than seeking re-election.
Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Civil rights activist Alveda King, Ph.D. – who chairs the America First Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization – said it’s time for Americans to unite and pray for all candidates running for office.
And she said she thinks Biden made the right call.
“I pray for every person of authority who’s running for Congress, who’s running for president, the state,” said King. “We pray for those who are in authority. He’s under a lot of pressure, I understand that. I don’t feel as though he is able to run the nation.”
President Biden said in a letter posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, “While it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
King said she has been a civil rights organizer since the 1970s.
She added that her uncle – the late Martin Luther King Jr. – and other family members fought for civil and voting rights.
She added the main reason she votes is because people have died for her right to cast a ballot.
“We should never apply our interests towards the personality of a candidate – whether we like them or don’t like them, or things like that,” said King. “We should examine the platform, and to vote for any platform that is as close to what we happen to believe. For me, that’s human dignity.”
Reacting to the news on Sunday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro called President Biden “a patriot, and one of the most impactful leaders in recent American history.”
Shapiro highlighted Biden’s accomplishments, noting his “substantial contributions to national progress and his efforts to uphold democratic principles.”