Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is ending her presidential campaign on Monday, just one day before the Super Tuesday and plans to endorse Joe Biden at a rally in Dallas, Texas Monday evening.
Klobuchar told campaign staff on Monday that she is ending her campaign after a series of disappointing finishes in Nevada and South Carolina, finishing sixth in both contest, multiple news outlets reported. She informed the former Vice President earlier that she will be quitting the race and will endorse him, according to a person on the call.
Despite her strong surprising third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary last month, her campaign struggled to break into the top tier of candidates in polls and often lagged behind the race’s front-runners in fundraising.
Her exit comes less than 24 hours after the abrupt exit of her fellow Midwest moderate, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Both candidate who were pivoting the moderate Democrat votes each had single-digit finishes in Saturday’s South Carolina primary. Billionaire businessman Tom Steyer ended his campaign Saturday night, shortly after South Carolina primary projected Biden the winner.
The Senator decision to end the race, along with Buttigieg comes amid fears among Democrats that a crowded primary field would pave the way for front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders to clinch the nomination. Buttigieg is also expected to endorse Biden, according to a source close to the former vice president’s campaign, signaling that moderates are coalescing behind Biden to stop Sanders.
Klobuchar was forced to cancel a rally in her own backyard Sunday night, after protesters from Black Lives Matter and other local civil rights groups took over the stage in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. They began shouting at her to drop out over the case of a black teen sentenced to life in prison while Klobuchar was the county’s top prosecutor.
An Associated Press investigation questioned Klobuchar’s handling of the 2002 case, in which Burrell was sent to prison for life following a police investigation some say was flawed. Klobuchar has said if there is new information in the case it should be considered — a response that some activists have said doesn’t go far enough.
Klobuchar was one of two female senators seeking the Democrat nomination. Her withdrawal now leaves Elizabeth Warren as the last female senator standing in the 2020 race.
Warren tweeted “thank you to my friend” minutes after news broke of Klobuchar exiting the race.
Thank you to my friend, @AmyKlobuchar. You've been a champion for working families and women in politics, and I look forward to keeping up that fight by your side.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) March 2, 2020
Klobuchar’s current senate term won’t end until Jan. 2025.
20202020 Election2020 Presidential RaceAmy KlobucharJoe BidenMayor Pete ButtigiegSen. Amy KlobucharSen. Bernie SandersSen. Elizabeth Warren
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