OPINION: N.M. delegation should tell president to quit

Jul. 4— Yvette Herrell never let truth interfere with politics. Her first actions as a Republican congresswoman in January 2021 were displays of petulance, as she voted against certifying President-elect Joe Biden 's victories in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Residents of New Mexico's 2nd District returned Herrell to private life after one term. Now she is making her fourth consecutive try for Congress, a race drenched in irony.

Herrell has an unexpected ally in Biden, provided he continues his campaign for reelection. Pitiful in his recent debate against Donald Trump and sinking in the polls, Biden threatens to drag down Democrats in close races.

Herrell in 2022 lost to Gabe Vasquez by less than 1 percentage point. Biden's presence at the top of the ticket might be enough to tip their rematch to Herrell, who's no heavyweight.

In her first congressional campaign in 2018, Herrell delivered a victory speech that was both premature and arrogant. Her champagne toasts fell flat when she lost the election.

Like Trump, Herrell claimed Democrats cheated her. And like Trump, she offered no evidence to support her whining.

Herrell rebounded in 2020 to win the 2nd District congressional seat. She lost it to Vasquez after Democrats in the state Legislature gerrymandered the district, splintering areas where Herrell was popular into two or even three districts.

Democrats didn't attempt to disguise their manipulations of boundary lines to sap votes from Herrell. They moved a sizable portion of Hobbs, a stronghold for Herrell, into the same district as Farmington, a city almost 500 miles away.

Biden's continued presence in the election might offset all of the partisan handiwork done in redistricting. That same downside for Democrats will be felt in swing districts around the country.

Biden no longer inspires confidence. Instead, he is on track to depress turnout, making Trump more formidable.

A few high-profile politicians, including sitting Democratic congressmen in Arizona and Texas, have called on Biden to step down as the party's presidential candidate.

New Mexico's delegation has exhibited no such courage or candor. Both of the state's U.S. senators and all three members of the House of Representatives are Democrats.

They have good grounds to say Trump is a dangerous candidate, and they will continue to do so. But Biden became the story when he bombed in the presidential debate. For its own self-interest and the good of the country, the New Mexico delegation should tell Biden to withdraw from the election.

There is no risk in speaking out. If Biden stays, Trump against all odds becomes the favorite to win the White House. Herrell would gain ground as Vasquez's advantages of incumbency and gerrymandering diminish.

Sen. Martin Heinrich isn't on the shaky terrain Vasquez occupies. But Heinrich's campaign for a third term becomes harder with Biden heading the Democratic ticket.

Facing Republican Nella Domenici, Heinrich can justly call her a wealthy carpetbagger. Bereft of talent, Republicans in New Mexico welcomed Domenici as their candidate. They never expected Biden's presence to help the cause of a creature of the East Coast, a woman whose thin connection to New Mexico is the surname of her famous father.

Biden's performance in the debate has given inept leaders of the state Republican Party reason to believe Domenici can make Heinrich sweat.

Few in politics surrender power willingly. Even backbenchers in the statehouse who introduce bills for specialty license plates figure their names will end up on public buildings if they can hang on for 20 years.

Biden was only 29 when he won election to the U.S. Senate in 1972. He came from Delaware, a state of three small counties. Reaching the White House wasn't easy. Giving it up would be painful for him.

He won't fold unless Democrats in high places tell him to get out. They can jump-start the party with the election of a new candidate at their national convention in August.

Republicans would claim the opposition had opted for a free-for-all. In fact, they would fear Democrats emerging from their convention with a candidate far stronger than Biden.

With Biden out, Herrell's chances of returning to Congress would decline. Domenici would be stuck defending Trump or trying to distance herself from him, neither a winning formula.

Biden's ego would be bruised by a Democratic uprising, but the alternative is much worse.

Expecting him to win the presidency at this stage is like sending the B squad to bring home a national championship.