Former Biden officials running for governor distance themselves from him amid 'bad headlines'

Three top Democratic candidates for governor in coastal and southwestern states are touting their White House experience without mentioning the president they served, apparently to avoid dragging down their campaigns, according to a review of campaign events and advertisements by NBC News.

Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in New Mexico, former Health Secretary Xavier Becerra in California and former White House Office of Public Engagement director Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia have rarely mentioned Joe Biden "by name" in public and none has referred to him directly or included his image in primary or general election ads, NBC News said.

It's a sharp contrast to Republican candidates closely aligning themselves with President Trump despite his low approval rating.

Biden is dogged by "bad headlines" of late, NBC News said, including the Democratic National Committee’s "autopsy" of the 2024 election and failed gay hockey romance star Jill Biden saying she feared her husband was having a stroke during his summer 2024 debate with then-candidate Donald Trump, who claimed validation from the former first lady's admission.

Biden shortly thereafter abandoned his reelection campaign and left office with the second-worst average poll numbers in Gallup's history.

Asked why Becerra was emphasizing his service in the administration and its accomplishments but not President Biden in his campaign, Becerra's spokesperson said California voters are "electing the next governor based on who they are, not necessarily who they worked for or who they’re tied to."