Amidst concerns about his fitness to serve, President Biden faces a "steady erosion" of support in New York, once a Democratic stronghold.
In the wake of ABC's George Stephanopoulos's bold statement that President Biden "can't serve four more years," Democrats in New York are reportedly in a panic, fearing a Republican presidential candidate could win the state for the first time since 1984.
According to an explosive Politico report, Biden's fitness to serve another term has been repeatedly called into question, leading to a loss of support in the Empire State, where he dominated in 2020.
Biden's Grip on New York Waning as Democrats Fear Republican Victory
"Elected officials, union leaders and political consultants" are "so worried" about Biden's declining popularity that they have been imploring his team to allocate resources to shore up his campaign and boost Democrats running in swing districts that could determine control of the House, according to Politico.
"We're still acting like this is a one-party state, which for pretty much 20, 25 years it has been... I truly believe we're a battleground state now," Democratic Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine told Politico.
Biden's Grip on New York Waning as Democrats Fear Republican Victory
Citing private polls conducted in a swing New York House district, Politico reported that Trump is essentially tied with Biden. Recent public polls also show "an unusually narrow gap in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1."
Biden has rarely visited New York during his campaign, focusing instead on traditional battleground states. However, Democrats now want him to prioritize the Empire State, warning of the existential crisis to democracy posed by Trump's potential return to the White House.
Biden's Grip on New York Waning as Democrats Fear Republican Victory
Spending more time in New York would "cost him time and money he'd rather be spending on the country's six swing states," said former New York Gov. David Paterson.
An anonymous "high-level New York Democrat" also expressed concern that Biden could hurt his party's House candidates, emphasizing the need for them to focus on building their own local brands.
"Biden isn't going to be handing out coattails no matter what," the anonymous source said. "He's only got anchors."
The nail-biting comes after Gov. Kathy Hochul narrowly won her election in 2022 against GOP challenger Lee Zeldin by just six points. Four years earlier, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo crushed his Republican opponent by 23 points.
Despite the concerns, some Democratic voices quoted in the report confidently predicted Biden would roll to victory in New York again. However, the once-solid Democratic stronghold is now a cause of anxiety for the party, as they battle to fend off a potential Republican surge in the upcoming election.
