Former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg
Pete ButtigiegObama to join Biden virtually for first joint fundraiser The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden marks 4th anniversary of Pulse nightclub shooting Former campaign staffers team up on M voter education initiative MORE on Monday night officially endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden
Joe BidenKlobuchar withdraws from Biden VP contention Biden campaign rebukes Trump effort to push for more debates Fox News poll: Biden's lead widens to 12 points over Trump MORE in the Democratic presidential race.
The former mayor of South Bend, Ind., threw his support behind Biden during a joint appearance in Dallas after suspending his own campaign Sunday.
"I'm looking for a leader," Buttigieg said. "I'm looking for a president who will draw out what is best in each of us, and I'm encouraging everybody who was part of my campaign to join me because we have found that leader in Vice President — soon to be President — Joe Biden."
.@PeteButtigieg: "I'm looking for a leader. I'm looking for a president who will draw out what is best in each of us, and I'm encouraging everybody who was part of my campaign to join me because we have found that leader in Vice President – soon to be President – @JoeBiden." pic.twitter.com/4FKvJiHVVh
— Matt Hill (@thematthill) March 3, 2020
Buttigieg said during his endorsement speech that his goal in running for president was "rallying the country together to defeat Donald Trump
Donald John TrumpOklahoma venue management asks Trump campaign for health plan ahead of rally Pompeo slams Bolton account as spreading 'lies,' 'fully-spun half-truths' and 'falsehoods' Twitter flags Trump tweet featuring fake CNN chyron as 'manipulated media' MORE and to win the era for the values that we share."
"And that was always a goal much bigger than me becoming president, and it is in the name of that very same goal that I’m delighted to endorse and support Joe Biden for president," he said.
He also said he hopes to bring "dignity back to the White House" and work to win "vitally important" House, Senate and local races.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Amy KlobucharKlobuchar withdraws from Biden VP contention Webb: Virtue signaling versus solutions In the next COVID-19 bill, target innovation and entrepreneurship MORE (D-Minn.), another moderate candidate, also dropped out of the race Monday with reported plans to endorse Biden.
The decision by the two to leave the race and endorse Biden clears a path in the moderate lane for the former vice president and marks a turnaround of sorts for him after a rocky start to the primary season. Biden came in fourth and fifth in Iowa and New Hampshire. But he experienced a big win in South Carolina, propelling him to second place in the delegate count and opening the door to a flood of new endorsements.
Currently, Biden has 54 delegates, while Sen. Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersWarren endorses Booker in Kentucky Senate primary Texas lawmaker endorses Eliot Engel Human Rights Campaign endorses Mondaire Jones in race to replace Nita Lowey in NY MORE (I-Vt.), the front-runner, has 60.
Biden, Klobuchar and Buttigieg all positioned themselves as alternative moderate candidates to Sanders. But as the moderate vote remained split, Sanders surged ahead before the South Carolina primary.
Buttigieg's endorsement comes in the day ahead of Super Tuesday, when 14 states and a territory will be voting to distribute more than a third of the delegates to candidates.
