Pete Buttigieg to endorse Joe Biden after dropping out, close adviser says

The Indiana mayor drops out of the race after his subpar performance during the South Carolina primary

Pete Buttigieg is planning to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden for president, a close adviser says.

The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor announced he was dropping out of the race on Sunday, just two days before Super Tuesday. At the time of the announcement, Mr Buttigieg did not reveal what his plans were for the 2020 election in terms of endorsements.

But now he's planning to back Mr Biden, an adviser told Reuters.

In his concession speech, following a disappointing showing at the South Carolina primary, the Afghanistan veteran told supporters: "I know that as this campaign ends, there comes disappointment that we won't continue.

"But I hope that everyone who has been part of this in any way knows that the campaign that you have built and the community that you have created is only the beginning of the change that we are going to make together."

The mayor then spoke with Mr Biden over the phone following his concession, according to reports.

It was announced in April 2019 the Indiana mayor was entering the presidential election as the first openly gay candidate to run a major campaign for the White House. After a series of debates Mr Buttigieg propelled himself up towards the top of the candidates, performing strongly in Iowa and New Hampshire, but he struggled with picking up support from black voters.

This new endorsement is a significant boost for the former vice president, and it comes on the heels of Amy Klobuchar, a senator from Minnesota, revealing her intention to drop out of the race and put her support behind Mr Biden later on Monday.

Mr Biden's team has yet to comment on the reported endorsements, but he is scheduled to appear at a rally in Dallas, Texas, on Monday evening. Mr Buttigieg and Ms Klobuchar are expected to attend.

Senator Bernie Sanders is currently leading the pack and was anticipated to pick up a large number of delegates from the 14 states voting. But both Mr Buttigieg and Ms Klobuchar removing themselves from the race to make way for the former vice president could help him garner more votes among moderates and challenge the front-runner.

Mike Bloomberg, Elizabeth Warren, and Tulsi Gabbard also remain in the race for the Democratic Party's nomination.