Central Ohio residents expressed their viewpoints about President Joe Biden's Sunday announcement that he is leaving the presidential race so late in the process.
Republican Bill Walker, a Gahanna resident, said he was not surprised Biden has stepped away from his re-election bid.
Walker said Biden seemed to keep faltering after his bad debate performance in June and now having COVID.
"I think that got to be too much pressure on him from too many important Democrats and he didn't have a choice,” Walker said.
Walker said he would like to see a second Donald Trump presidency.
Columbus resident Jennifer Sayers, who votes Democratic, is disappointed that Biden dropped out so late in the presidential race.
"I don't think the Democratic Party at the moment has anybody strong enough to put up to run that will unite everyone, not that Biden would have done that, but it just doesn't seem like the best time to pull an incumbent from the race,” Sayers said.
Baltimore, Ohio resident Stefan Armintrout is supporting whomever the Democratic Party selects to run as president.
"It's disappointing because I actually do think he was a pretty good president, but I understand because obviously he's not the same man that he was four years ago,” Armintrout said.
Jacky Luoma, who leans left in her politics, said she will miss Biden.
"It seemed like he cared a little bit more about the things that I care about, like women and children and people of color, and I feel like other candidates didn't really do anything to help those people,” Luoma said.
Luoma said she will vote for a Democrat for president, no matter who the candidate is.
At Topiary Park in downtown Columbus, Miatta Aburugrs of Columbus said she thinks Biden is making the best decision for the country, and himself.
"I put his health first. And for him to, you know, retire and have, you know, quality time with his family for the rest of the time, he's on Earth,” she said.
Aburugrs said she is thrilled at the prospect of first female president, that it is about time.
"That's exciting to me, I look forward to having the first female president in the USA, the world superpower, most powerful country," she said.
Willa O'Neill is the chair of the Democratic Party in Washington County in southeast Ohio. She came to Columbus on Sunday to visit her granddaughter who moved to town to start classes at CCAD, Maeghan O'Neill.
Willa O’Neill applauded Biden for his decision, but praised his presidency first.
"I think that Joe Biden has been an outstanding president. He has done things that he hasn't really been given a lot of credit for, but that have changed a lot of folks lives in a positive way,” she said while visiting Topiary Park.
"I thank Joe for all of his service for these many years and for being a person of the character who can see the writing on the wall and say, it's time for me to step aside. And he did that for the sake of our country," she said.
Willa O’Neill said she fully supports Kamala Harris.
"We need as Democrats to do whatever we can to save our democracy, from the autocracy that is the threat of another Trump administration,” she said.
