Democrat Calls for 'New Blood' When Asked if She'll Back Biden's Reelection

Representative Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, said Sunday that she would support President Joe Biden if he sought reelection, but stressed that she believes the Democratic Party needs "new blood" in the House, the Senate and White House.

The Democratic lawmaker's comments came during an interview on NBC's Meet the Press after host Kristen Welker asked if she plans on backing the president if he runs again in 2024.

"He's the sitting president, if he decides to run again, I'm going to support him, the party's going to support him. That has a long history in our country," Slotkin said. "But I have been very vocal, including with my own leadership in the House, that we need a new generation, we need new blood. Period. Across the Democratic Party, in the House, the Senate and the White House."

She continued: "I think that the country has been saying that. And I'm just one of a handful of members of Congress who hasn't voted for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker, and I've said I think we need new leaders."

During her interview, the congresswoman said that she'd "love" to see new Democratic leaders from the Midwest.

"That's been important to me, to reflect the middle of the country, we're here too," she said.

In an interview on CNN last month, Slotkin said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shouldn't lead the Democrats in the lower chamber if the party retains control following the midterms. Last year, when Democrats kept control of the House and were voting in their leaders, Slotkin didn't vote for Pelosi, but instead marked herself as "present" during a roll call vote.

Newsweek has reached out to Slotkin, the White House and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for comment.

A recent poll conducted by Civiqs found that Biden's low level of popularity in some swing states could pose trouble for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.

One such state is Arizona, where only 36 percent said that they approved of Biden's handling of the presidency while 56 percent said they disapproved. In that state, incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Kelly is facing a challenge from GOP candidate Blake Masters, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Ken Kollman, a professor of political science at the University of Michigan, told Newsweek earlier this month that the poll shows Biden's approval is low among white men.

"This is not ideal for Democrats. But it's important to consider that disapproval of Biden is a symptom of a broader dissatisfaction with Democrats among white men, many who see the Democrats as not serving their needs," Kollman said.

He added: "On top of the problem Democrats have with white males, many voters of all demographic types are undoubtedly asking for something from the Democrats that they have failed to deliver: stable, low-inflation economic growth."