MACON, Ga. — As the nation feels the political shockwaves of President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race this weekend, political figures in Central Georgia and across the state are sharing their perspectives on Biden's withdrawal from the race.
His decision comes just over a month before delegates descend on Chicago for the Democratic National Convention.
Party officials have begun determining how the voting process will work when the convention begins and how the party will select a nominee with the primary process firmly in the rearview mirror.
Here's how politicians in the Peach State are reacting after Biden's decision Sunday to step aside.
Georgia's U.S. Senators:
Both of Georgia's Democratic Senators were unified in their messaging: they both thanked Biden for his decades of service to the country and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris' bid to secure the nomination.
"President Biden demonstrated again today that he is a selfless servant leader and a true patriot, and why he is one of the most effective Presidents of my lifetime," Sen. Raphael Warnock wrote in a statement. "Joe Biden has always put the people first... I join millions of Americans in saying thank you for the more than a half-century of public service!"
Warnock went on to praise Biden's record. Sen. Jon Ossoff did the same thing in a post on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.
"Pres. Biden's record and decades to the country are extraordinary and historic," Ossoff wrote. "Thank you, @POTUS."
While some Democratic leaders have waited to issue an endorsement — most notably former president Barrack Obama — Warnock and Ossoff quickly issued endorsements of Harris' bid for president.
"I have been proud to work alongside him [Joe Biden] and our very capable Vice President, Kamala Harris, and I am proud to endorse her candidacy to be the next President of the United States," Warnock wrote.
Ossoff said Harris is "prepared, ready to win" in November.
"Vice President Harris is now absolutely the right candidate to defeat Donald Trump and unite our country," Ossoff wrote. "Harris is prepared, ready to win, & has my full support."
Georgia's House Delegation
The reaction among Georgia's delegation to the House of Representatives has been mixed, and many representatives have not weighed in on the decision.
One member of the delegation from Central Georgia, Republican Mike Collins, has weighed in and raised questions about Biden's decision to step aside.
In a post on X, he said it felt weird that the decision was being conveyed by White House officials and not Biden himself.
"Why is the White House Chief of Staff calling cabinet officials about this purported decision by Biden, and not Biden himself?" Collins wrote. "This looks like a bloodless coup. Does the president know he's not running for election?"
Another representative who has weighed in on Biden's decision is north Georgia's Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. She called the decision a "civil war happening in the deep state and the elites in power" in a post on the social media site X.
"Today, Joe Biden, after weeks saying he's in, announces he is dropping out of the presidential race, but remains POTUS," Greene wrote. "We all know Biden can't be president if he can't run for president, but he's avoiding coronating Kamala by not resigning from office."
She suggested that the people in power have been hiding Biden's mental issues "for years" and reaffirmed her belief in Republicans prevailing in November.
"Patriots will ultimately be in control," she wrote.
On the Democratic front, Georgia's Democratic Party Chair Nikema Williams — a congresswoman from Atlanta — also thanked Biden "for his decades of public service" in a statement and highlighted the Biden administration's achievements.
She pointed to the nation's recovery from the pandemic and the creation of 30,000 new jobs in Georgia.
"President Biden said Georgia made him president, and he's right. There's more work to be done," Williams wrote. "We must defeat the twice-impeached, failed, 34-time convicted felon Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda."
In a post on X, she would later fully endorse Harris' bid for president.
Georgia's Executive Branch
While Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has not weighed in on Biden's decision, his second in command Lt. Gov Burt Jones has.
"The Democrat establishment has succeeded in subverting the will of their voters," Jones wrote on X. "They can replace their nominee, but can't change the damage they've done to this border and economy."
He says that the Republicans are unified behind former President Donald Trump.
"Republicans have never been more united and the Democrats are a mess," Jones wrote.
To see reactions from political figures across the nation, you can find more here.