On the eve of Super Tuesday, when 14 states go to the polls, the moderate wing of the Democratic Party aligned behind former Vice President Joe Biden following his campaign-saving victory in South Carolina over the weekend. In Dallas Monday night, Biden locked up high-profile endorsements from fellow Democratic competitors Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke. The trio of candidates offered their support for Biden Monday; Klobuchar and Beto joined Biden onstage at a rally Monday night. The endorsements show the moderates within the Democratic Party flexing their collective muscle as the race realigns with Sen. Bernie Sanders leading the way.
Mayor Pete had managed significant support at the polls in the early primary states, giving his campaign an unexpected lift and placing him third in the delegate count, but after two distant finishes in Nevada and South Carolina, coming in behind Biden in each state, the 38-year-old withdrew from the race. On Monday, he offered his support for Biden at a BBQ joint in Dallas.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, whose sensible Midwesternness cast her as an alternative to Biden, outlived her campaign’s expected shelf life by defying expectations. Her double-digit support in Iowa, followed by a competitive third in New Hampshire, kept Klobuchar in the game longer than expected. In Nevada and South Carolina, however, Klobuchar’s levels of support returned to form, making her the sixth choice of voters in both states, prompting her to drop out of the race and join forces with Biden.
Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke also joined Biden onstage, making what amounted to a surprise endorsement after exiting the race in the fall, well before voting began.
“Joe Biden is decent. … He’s kind. He’s caring. He’s empathetic,” O’Rourke said Monday night. “Tomorrow, March 3, 2020, I will be casting my ballot for Joe Biden. … We need somebody who can beat Donald Trump.”