Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg scored an endorsement from former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter (D), who will serve as his national political chairman. 

Nutter announced that he would be hitting the campaign trail with the former New York City mayor after endorsing him this week.

“Mike Bloomberg has been a friend, adviser, supporter, and certainly a mentor from the day we met,” Nutter said in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“These are extraordinary times and I think they require an extraordinary response. People want leadership…and are really looking for significant change. I think Mike brings that change,” he added. 

Nutter in a statement on Friday also praised Bloomberg’s position on a number of issues including “the drug crisis, gun violence, the environment and access to high-quality healthcare for all Americans.”

The endorsement is crucial for Bloomberg, who is looking to zero in on later primary states, including Pennsylvania. The state also holds great general election significance, given that President Trump flipped it from blue to red in 2016.

Bloomberg entered the race last month, marking a late entry into the crowded Democratic primary race. The former New York City mayor, who is not competing in Iowa and New Hampshire, has launched a multimillion-dollar ad buy across a number of states and media markets.

The strategy appears to have had an effect on some of the polls. An NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll released earlier this week showed Bloomberg with 4 percent support nationally, trailing sitting Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) who had 5 percent support.