Pete Buttigieg plans to former rival Joe Biden for president, bolstering the former vice president as the preferred alternative to socialist Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential race.
The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor ended his presidential campaign on Sunday, a day after South Carolina primary voters delivered fellow centrist candidate Biden a nearly 30-point win over the Vermont senator, while Buttigieg dropped to single digits after narrowly winning the Iowa caucuses and placing second in the New Hampshire primary.
In his speech announcing the end of his candidacy, Buttigieg dissuaded Democrats from making a left-wing ideologue the party’s nominee — an implicit jab at Sanders.
“We need leadership to heal a divided nation, not drive us further apart. We need a broad-based agenda that can truly deliver for the American people, not one that gets lost in ideology,” Buttigieg said. “I urge everyone who supported me to continue in the cause of ensuring that we bring change to the White House and working to win the absolutely critical down ballot races playing out across the country this year.”
Reuters reported plans of Buttigieg’s announcement to Biden came minutes after Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race and said she’s endorsing Biden, a two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator.
Buttigieg reportedly spoke to Biden and former President Barack Obama on the phone the night he ended his campaign. Biden asked for Buttigieg’s support, and the former mayor said that he would consider it, while Obama noted that Buttigieg now had significant influence and should think about how to use it, without specifically encouraging Buttigieg to endorse anyone.
