Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), who is the leading Democratic candidate for the state’s open Senate seat, said President Biden is trailing former President Trump in private polls of her state.
Slotkin made the remark to donors during a fundraiser Tuesday, The New York Times reported.
“Right now, President Biden is behind Trump in all of our polling and this Senate race is in a dead heat,” Slotkin said during the video call with donors, the Times reported.
According to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Slotkin currently has a 62 percent chance of beating her Republican challenger in the general election. The primary is Aug. 6.
The polling also shows Biden has a 53 percent chance of winning Michigan.
Slotkin said she was running for the Senate seat only because Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who is 74, is “doing a radical thing and passing the torch.”
In her retirement announcement in 2023, Stabenow used the same language. She said she was inspired by a new generation of leaders and had “decided to pass the torch.”
It’s not known if Slotkin was referring to the concerns about Biden not stepping aside for a new candidate.
A growing number of Democrats have expressed concern about Biden’s ability to beat Trump in the election this fall, in addition to carrying out the role of president for another four years if he is reelected.
Other Democrats say they’re concerned that Biden staying on the ticket will hurt Democrats in House and Senate races, too.
On Monday, Biden sent a letter to congressional Democrats, bluntly rejecting the calls for him to step aside. He said the conversation about a new candidate needs to end and that it’s time for them to “come together.”
Slotkin’s campaign did not have a comment.
Updated at 6:08 p.m.