Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Klobuchar and Buttigieg back Biden
Moderates intent on helping former VP catch Sanders
HOUSTON — Rivals no more, Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg united behind Joe Biden’s presidential bid Monday as the Democratic Party’s moderate wing scrambled to boost the former vice president just hours before voting began across a series of high-stakes Super Tuesday states.
The urgency of the moment reflected deep concerns from the Democratic establishment that Bernie Sanders, a polarizing progressive, was positioned to seize a significant delegate lead when 14 states, one U.S. territory and Democrats abroad vote on Tuesday.
Klobuchar formally suspended her campaign and endorsed Biden on Monday, a day after Buttigieg announced his formal exit.
Both Klobuchar and Buttigieg, who had been Biden’s chief competition for their party’s pool of more moderate voters over the last year, were set to announce their support for Biden later Monday at a rally in Dallas.
Buttigieg’s plans were confirmed by two people familiar with the decision who were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Klobuchar and Buttigieg become the second and third Democrat to abandon their presidential bids since Bidens core dare sounding victory in South Carolina, his first of the 2020 roller coaster nomination fight.
Sanders’ senior strategist Jeff Weaver dismisse dt he importan ceo ft he new coalition , which he said would help highlight the divide between the true progressive wing of the party and those in the establishment.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that the candidates funded by big money and super PA Cs are coalescing behind Joe Bid en, and that’s not a surprise ,” Weaver said .“It hink it’ll add a lot of clarity to this race.”
A shrinking group of other Democrats vowe dto press on, potentially toward a contested convention.
The fast-moving developments came at a key crossroads in the Democratic Party’s turbulent primary season. The state st hat vote Tuesday, led by California and Texas, offer almost 10 times as many delegates in a single day than have been awarded over the first month.
Sanders remained the front-runner. But there st of the field was unsettled, even after Biden’s South Carolina blowout and the departures of Klobuchar ,Buttigieg and billionaire activist Tom Steyer.
New Yor kb illionaire Mike Bloomberg could create problems for Biden’s establishment appeal. Bloomberg, who will appear on a 2020 ballot for the first time Tuesday, has invested more than a half- billion dollars into his presidential bid and racked up many high-profile endorsements of his own.
Yet Bid en appeared to have the momentum on the eve of Super Tuesday after his South Carolina victory.
The Biden campaign reported back-to-back days of $5 milli on fundraising hauls, by far the best 48- hour stretch of his campaign. Bid en touted the threshold Sunday night o na call with donors, according to one person on the call.
The campaign highlights several new endorsements. Perhaps the mo stp owerful endorsement would come fro mf ormer President Barack Obama , who h asa relationship with most of the candidates and has talked with several in recent weeks as primary voting has begun . He spoke with Biden to congratulate him after his South Carolina victory, but still has no plans to endorse in the primary at this point.
Yet a stream of new Biden backers stepped forward in the run- up to Tuesday, including former Nevada Sen. Harry Reid. The former Senate majority leader said, “I believe Biden is best able to defeat Donald Trump and enac tt he policies we all care about.”
Biden’s growing collection of endorse rs also features Obama national security adviser Susan Rice; former Colorado Sen. Mark Udall; former California
Sen. Barbara Boxer; Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va.; Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White; former Arkansas Sen. Blanc he Lincoln; and Rep. Gil Cisneros , D Calif.
Virginia Rep .Do n Beyer, the first member of Congress to endorse Buttigieg, said he planned to endorse Biden and expected Buttigieg to as well.
“Id o think it’s the most logical,” Beyer said o fa Biden endorsement, given his echo of the former vice president’s call for civility, a mantra of the Buttigieg campaign .“It hink Joe is the next best possibility .”
While Biden clearly has momentum, not everyone in his party’s moneyed establishment is convinced.
Acro sst he country, some majo rd ono rsr emain skeptical and want to see what happens on Super Tuesday before deciding whethe rto support Biden.
Biden has struggle d to raise mone yin Silicon Valley, for example. The are ais dominated b yt he tech sector, and many of its wealthy donors prioritize executing a data-driven plan .B iden’s rocky campaign pushed many toward Buttigieg or Bloomberg in recent months, financiers say .B iden’s team is waging a quiet campaign to win them over, yet many are taking a waitand-see approach.
“We nee dt o see what happens tomorrow, which is going to be very telling ,” said Alex Sink, a Democratic donor and former Florida gubernatorial candidate who endorsed Bloomberg.