A black South Bend, Indiana, city councilman endorsed Joe Biden for president rather than Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of the city.
Oliver Davis is a current member and former vice president of the nine-person Common Council and one of its longest-serving African American members.
“In times like these, when the political winds are fiercely blowing across our country, it’s important for us to have an experienced leader who has been through the diverse storms of life to guide our country. That’s why I am very pleased to support Vice President Joe Biden to be our next President of the United States of America,” Davis said in a statement from the Biden campaign Friday.
The endorsement highlights Buttigieg’s struggle to gain support from black voters and the shadow of his troubled relationship with the black community in South Bend. His program to quickly demolish and repair vacant houses sparked anger in minority communities and inspired South Bend Councilwoman Regina Williams-Preston to seek public office. In June, a killing of a black man by a white South Bend police officer sparked protests over Buttigieg’s handling of policing in minority communities.
Buttigieg lags behind other top-tier Democratic presidential hopefuls in securing major endorsements. He has only six endorsements from current or former black or Hispanic elected officials, according to the New York Times, while Biden has 154, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has 91, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has 43.
