Former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, who posted a narrow win in the Iowa caucuses last month, announced Sunday that he is dropping out of the Democratic Party presidential race.
Buttigieg had also finished second in the New Hampshire primary, but failed to gain significant support in the next two nominating contests, in Nevada and South Carolina, which was won handily by former Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday.
The news hit home in Virginia as Congressman Don Beyer, who had endorsed Buttigieg for the party nomination, announced Monday that he is now backing Biden.
The statement from Beyer:
“I want to thank Pete Buttigieg for his thrilling and historic candidacy. Pete and his brilliant team accomplished things no one would ever have thought possible for the mayor of a small city in Indiana. Pete, Chasten, and Team Buttigieg are wonderful people who have so much to be proud of. I remain honored to call Pete Buttigieg my friend, and look forward to what he will accomplish in time to come.
“The 2020 presidential election is the most important of my lifetime. Our nation is at a crossroads, and the question of who the best person is to lead us forward now is, for me, an easy and direct one. Donald Trump has defined himself through lies and cruelty, and governed through chaos. Democrats must counter his bad character by nominating a man with heart, strength, and a steady hand.
“Joe Biden is a statesman who has been tested by years of public service as a Senator and as the Vice President and most trusted counselor of President Barack Obama. He has the experience necessary to achieve progress and deliver results, and the ability to unite our party’s broad coalition and lead us to victory in November. As Virginians weigh their choices in Tuesday’s primary, I give my endorsement to Vice President Joe Biden.”
Story by Chris Graham
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