Former President Joe Biden will be feted by South Carolina Democrats later this month, to mark the sixth anniversary of his Palmetto State primary landslide, a comeback victory that rocketed Biden to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and later the White House.

But with many Democrats still smarting from their party’s major 2024 election setbacks, fueled in part by a very unpopular Biden presidency and the then-president’s dropping his re-election bid amid serious questions about his physical and mental abilities following a disastrous debate with now-President Donald Trump, the South Carolina celebration appears to be an outlier.

As they seek office in gubernatorial and congressional races in this year’s elections, nine candidates who served in the Biden administration appear to be keeping their distance from the former president, according to a new report from Axios.

POTENTIAL 2028 CONTENDER SHAPIRO KNOCKS BIDEN’S RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

Biden ended his presidency with approval and favorable ratings well underwater, and the 13 months since he left office have not apparently healed the damage done to his standing among those in his own party.

“Biden remains a liability,” a veteran Democratic strategist who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News Digital. “Being associated with the Biden administration is doing some candidates no favors as they run this year.”

HOUSE DEMOCRATS ON OFFENSE: EXPAND THE 2026 MAP

That’s a switch from the 2018 elections, the previous midterm cycle when Trump was in office and the Democrats were out of power, when former President Barack Obama as well as then-former Vice President Biden were in demand on the campaign trail.

Among those not highlighting Biden this cycle is Deb Haaland, a former House member from New Mexico who served as Department of the Interior secretary in the Biden administration and is now running for governor in the blue-leaning state. The former president isn’t mentioned on Haaland’s campaign website.

Another example is Xavier Becerra, who served as secretary of Health and Human Services under Biden and is now running for California governor. The former president isn’t mentioned in Becerra’s campaign launch video.

IT’S EARLY IN 2026, BUT THE 2028 WHITE HOUSE RACE IS WELL UNDERWAY

But some Biden alumni running in solidly blue areas are mentioning their service during his administration. That includes Democratic congressional candidate Sanjyot Dunung, who is seeking office in Illinois 8th District. She mentions in her launch video that she served on Biden’s foreign policy working group.

It’s still too early to tell if the former president could end up being a drag on potential 2028 presidential contenders that served in his administration. Both former Vice President Kamala Harris and Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are seen as possible White House contenders.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

For Democrats hoping Biden stays out of the limelight, the former president has mostly obliged. Biden has only made a handful of high-profile public appearances and sat for just a couple of major interviews since the end of his presidency.

Fox News reached out to Biden’s post-presidency team for comment, but didn’t receive a response at the time this story was published.

A man in Florida who allegedly gunned down six people in a shooting spree at two properties in Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale before killing himself has been identified, authorities said. 

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect, Russell Kot, 51, had “been in a previous romantic relationship with one of the victims in Fort Lauderdale,” and that victim was linked to the victims in Sarasota. 

Deputies said they first responded to a 911 call advising that an adult male had been shot early Tuesday afternoon at a home in the Amberlea neighborhood in Sarasota. Neighbors were “actively performing” CPR on that victim in the front yard when deputies arrived, and he was transferred to the Sarasota County Fire Department. That male was later pronounced dead, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. 

“Fearing for the safety of the victim’s wife, deputies entered the residence where they located four additional deceased adult victims — two females and two males,” it added. 

SUSPECT IN FLORIDA GATED COMMUNITY MASS SHOOTING LIKELY LINKED TO EARLIER CROSS-STATE DOUBLE HOMICIDE: SHERIFF

“While attempting to identify the victims and potential suspect, detectives received information from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD) advising they were working a double homicide and believed the Sarasota shooting to be related to the investigation they are working,” the sheriff’s office said. “FLPD provided suspect vehicle information and advised that following their homicide, the vehicle was captured on camera traveling northbound through Punta Gorda prior to the Sarasota homicide.” 

“Detectives worked with Amberlea HOA representatives and neighbors, and were able to recover video of the suspect’s vehicle entering the neighborhood at 11:01 a.m. The sound of gunfire was captured shortly after on a neighbor’s Ring camera. Approximately 37 minutes later, the male victim, who was found in the front lawn, was captured entering the neighborhood in his vehicle. The victim approached the front door where he was shot,” deputies also said. 

Kot was found dead inside the Sarasota home, according to the sheriff’s office. 

It identified the other victims there as Olga Greinert, 49, Florita Stolyar, 66, Anatoly Ioffe, 61 and Yaroslav Blyudoy, 39. 

FLORIDA MAN ALLEGEDLY POINTS GUN AT MULTIPLE DRIVERS DURING ROAD RAGE CONFRONTATION

“Based on our preliminary investigation, it appears that the suspect died of self-inflicted wounds, and there are no known documented mental health crises nor history of violence associated with him,” the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said. “The suspect’s motivation for targeting the Sarasota victims is unknown.” 

The victims in the Fort Lauderdale shooting, which happened in the Victoria Park neighborhood, were identified as Larisa Blyudaya, 48, and Ben Azivov, 18, according to NBC Miami. 

Joe Askerberg, the property manager of the home where those victims were found, told the station that they were a mother and son.

“Gutted obviously for the whole family involved,” Askerberg said to NBC Miami. “Larisa was so bubbly and never negative; she was always in good spirits.” 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Comedian Kathy Griffin declared herself “uncanceled” in an interview with NPR affiliate WUSF on Thursday — standing by a photo she posted, years prior, of a bloodied, severed head resembling President Donald Trump. 

In the interview with WUSF, Griffin reflected on the backlash that derailed her career and said audiences are now ready to welcome her back.

After Griffin posted the controversial photo in 2017 of her holding a Halloween mask covered in fake blood that appeared to resemble Trump, members of both parties condemned the photo, accusing it of promoting violence against an elected official.

KATHY GRIFFIN TELLS FANS TO FIND OUT WHICH NEIGHBORS ARE ‘MAGA’ AND ORGANIZE ICE RESISTANCE

“Oh, I think I’m uncanceled, which is a miracle to me, because I didn’t think I would ever be uncanceled,” Griffin said in the WUSF interview.

“It’s more special now that I’m not canceled for me to go back to Tampa, because I haven’t played Tampa in a really long time,” she added.

CONAN O’BRIEN SAYS ‘F TRUMP’ COMICS HAVE BEEN CO-OPTED BY ANGER, ‘JUST SCREAMING’

Griffin initially apologized for the image before later retracting the apology and saying she did not regret posting it.

“People still define me by it. Now, I really own it, and I absolutely lean into it, because I was right, and I was ahead of my time,” Griffin said.

“And so, when I look at that picture now, I’m very proud of it,” she continued.

KATHY GRIFFIN SAYS SHE’S MADE ‘TRUMPER FRIENDS’ YEARS AFTER BLOODY TRUMP PHOTO SPARKED OUTRAGE

Griffin said Trump acted “like he was scared of me” long before the photo was posted. She added, “He would put four fingers up like a cross, and go, ‘Oh, here she comes. She’s gonna be tough on me. Don’t make fun of the hair.’”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE MEDIA AND CULTURE

Griffin is set to kick off her “New Face, New Tour” show in Orlando on Thursday, saying audiences now give her standing ovations “before I even go out.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP