Elizabeth Warren endorses former rival Joe Biden

Washington — Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren endorsed Joe Biden for president on Wednesday, becoming the final major 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to throw their support behind the former vice president and marking Biden’s third key endorsement this week.

“In this moment of crisis, it’s more important than ever that the next president restores Americans’ faith in good, effective government,” Warren said in a video announcing her endorsement. “Joe Biden has spent nearly his entirely life in public service. He knows that a government run with integrity, competence and heart will save lives and save livelihoods.”

The Democratic Party has coalesced around Biden in the wake of Super Tuesday in early March, when the field of candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination began to winnow. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the final candidate standing, ended his campaign last week and threw his support behind Biden on Monday.

The former vice president also picked up the endorsement of former President Barack Obama, who said in a video published Tuesday that selecting Biden as his vice president was “one of the best decisions I ever made.”

Warren handed Biden his third high-profile endorsement of the week, and in the nearly four-minute-long video announcing her support for the former vice president, she urged her supporters to help ensure Biden defeats President Trump in November.

“Among all the other candidates I competed with i the Democratic primary, there’s no one I’ve agreed with 100% of the time over the years,” Warren said. “But one thing I appreciate about Joe Biden is he will always tell you where he stands. When you disagree, he’ll listen, and not just listen, but really hear you and treat you with respect no matter where you’re coming from. And he’s shown throughout this campaign that when you come up with new facts or a good argument, he’s not too afraid or too proud to be persuaded.”

Along with Sanders, Warren garnered the backing of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and amassed the support of a fervent base. She differentiated herself from the vast field of Democratic presidential hopefuls with an array of thorough policy plans and embraced Medicare for All.

Warren exited the presidential race two days after Super Tuesday after failing to place first in any primary contests and landing in third place in her home state of Massachusetts, behind Biden and Sanders.

While her fellow Democratic presidential candidates came out in support of Biden after ending their campaigns, Warren withheld an endorsement. After dropping out of the race, Warren said she needed “space” to make a decision.

“Let’s take a deep breath and spend a little time on that,” she said last month.

Zak Hudak contributed reporting.