Biden Gets the Endorsement He Needed Ahead of Saturday

Rep. Jim Clyburn backs the VP for president
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 26, 2020 8:49 AM CST
Clyburn's Long-Awaited Endorsement Goes to Biden
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, applauds Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., at the National Action Network South Carolina Ministers' Breakfast, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, in North Charleston, S.C.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

South Carolina has been described as a "must-win" state for Joe Biden, and he just got a major boost in his quest to take the state's primary on Saturday. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the House majority whip and a longtime Biden ally, has endorsed the former vice president. Clyburn had been expected to throw his weight behind Biden, Amy Klobuchar, or Elizabeth Warren, and it's real weight, notes the Post and Courier: He's the "state's most influential Democrat and the highest-ranking black member of Congress," and his support "could hold far more significance than a typical presidential endorsement."

The endorsement came via a tweet from Clyburn, whom the AP calls the "kingmaker of South Carolina's Democratic political orbit." He wrote, "I know Joe Biden. I know his character, his heart, and his record. Joe Biden has stood for the hard-working people of South Carolina. We know Joe. But more importantly, he knows us. In South Carolina, we choose presidents. I'm calling on you to stand with @JoeBiden." The AP notes that while Biden has long been the frontrunner in the state, his lead has been chipped into by Bernie Sanders. Tom Steyer has also been zeroing in on the state, spending millions of dollars on advertising there and specifically courting black voters. (More Joe Biden 2020 stories.)

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