State Dem leaders rally behind Biden after debate; one party chair urges GOP to replace Trump

The governor of President Biden’s home state led several other Democratic state officials in maintaining they will stick with their party’s incumbent after a debate performance that roiled the political scene.

Delaware Gov. John Carney told Fox News Digital he still supports Biden's bid to remain in the White House.

"I endorsed President Biden’s re-election campaign last year and continue to stand behind him," Carney said.

"We need to make sure President Biden can finish the job he started."

Fox News Digital reached out to every Democratic governor and several state-level Democrats for their take after Biden received friendly post-debate fire from fellow liberals and media allies.

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Several governors did not respond to requests for comment, but those who did indicated Biden remains their man.

In West Virginia, State Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin said Biden is a winner and Trump is a criminal.

"As Democrats, we believe in the democratic process. President Biden is our nominee because of his winning performance in the presidential primaries," he said.

"Donald Trump is a convicted felon who paid hush money to cover up an affair with a porn star and who helped incite a riot as part of a plot to overturn the results of a free and fair election," added Pushkin, also a state lawmaker.

Instead of claiming Democrats should replace Biden, the GOP should turn inward, Pushkin added.

"If Republican leaders had an ounce of integrity and cared about our democracy, they should be looking to replace Donald Trump on the ticket," he said.

In neighboring Pennsylvania, state Sen. Sharif Street, the commonwealth’s Democratic Party chair, said he will proudly continue to support Biden.

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"He’s created more jobs this year than Donald Trump has in his entire time in office," said Street, whose father, John Street, was a popular Philadelphia mayor.

"President Biden has had an outstanding tenure, appointing Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and protecting a women’s right to choose. Additionally, he has invested in our communities by passing the CHIPS Act and the infrastructure bill," Street said.

Street added Trump is a "convicted felon" and that the debate showed him to be a "compulsive liar" and "total lunatic."

"[He’s] bad for America," Street said. "I’m proud to support President Biden and look forward to the next four years."

Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office pointed to an interview on CNN, where he appeared as a Biden campaign surrogate.

The governor, whose state narrowly went to Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020, did not mince words about remaining behind his party’s nominee.

"Here's the bottom line: Joe Biden had a bad debate night, but Donald Trump was a bad president," Shapiro said.

"I think what the American people have to do now is make a decision: Do we want to go back to a dark time that Donald Trump promises, where we have less freedom, where the middle class gets screwed, where there are fewer opportunities in our community?" 

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Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz concurred with Shapiro during a Fox News interview when asked if Biden should remain the nominee.

"[He] had a bad night last night," he said. "I hate these debates. I’ve been through dozens of them myself, but they’re performative," Walz told "America's Newsroom."

"I've had the job under President Trump and under President Biden, and the difference couldn't be more stark than the ability to be able to deliver what governors need."

Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said "last night was not a good night" for Biden but added Trump instead "spewed wild conspiracy theories from the debate stage."

"President Biden has a vision for America where women have the right to choose what they do with their own bodies, where we tackle high housing costs, where every family can afford child care, and where we show compassion and love for one another rather than hate," Polis said.

While North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper did not respond to a request for comment, he later lauded and introduced Biden at a Raleigh campaign rally Friday afternoon.

Reached for comment on whether they will continue supporting Biden, an official with the North Carolina Democratic Party responded simply, "Yes."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office directed Fox News Digital to post-debate remarks in which the Democrat pledged to "never turn my back on President Biden."

"I don't know a Democrat in my party that would do so. And especially after tonight, we have his back," he said.

Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly told Fox News Digital she's proud to continue supporting him.

"While I have never been shy about standing up to Washington when it’s wrong for Kansas, the president’s record of delivering bipartisan results speaks for itself," she said.

"His efforts will continue to allow Kansas to recruit new manufacturing businesses, rebuild our infrastructure, and stand up for our fundamental freedoms. He is a decent man of strong character."