PETE BUTTIGIEG HAS pulled out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination giving a major boost to former Vice President Joe Biden.
The 38-year-old’s surprise decision was set to shake up the race this week when 14 states vote on “Super Tuesday.”
It is expected to further boost the fortunes of Biden after he scored a resounding victory in South Carolina’s primary on Saturday in the contest to see who faces President Donald Trump in November.
Biden has emerged as the chief moderate challenger to frontrunner Bernie Sanders, who has taken the race by storm and is looking to score big wins on Tuesday in states such as California.
Buttigieg, a military veteran and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, addressed supporters in his home town.
“The truth is that the path has narrowed to a close…for our candidacy, if not for our cause,” he said.
Buttigieg did not mention Sanders by name in his speech, but he has publicly stated he believes the 78-year-old senator’s “inflexible” political approach would fail in a match-up against Trump.
“We need a broad-based agenda that can truly deliver for the American people, not one that gets lost in ideology,” he said.
Buttigieg, however, stopped short of endorsing Biden or any other candidate.
Buttigieg emerged as a major player by narrowly winning the Iowa caucuses, earning widespread attention for his unflustered and professional approach in an often bitter Democratic nomination battle.
But his third place finish in Nevada and a worse showing in South Carolina confirmed he had struggled to build a broad coalition, including support from black voters — a key Democratic demographic.
Biden’s resounding victory Saturday in the first southern state to vote has thrust him back into contention, after miserable showings in the first three states.
With 48% of the vote in South Carolina, Biden more than doubled the 20% won by Sanders – positioning him as the leftist senator’s main rival.
“Just days ago the press and the pundits declared my candidacy dead,” Biden told a crowd in Norfolk, Virginia, one of the states voting on Super Tuesday.
“Now, thanks to the heart of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, I’m very much alive,” he said.
“On Tuesday here in Virginia, you could be the launching pad on the path to beat Donald Trump.”
Sanders continues to hold poll leads in several Super Tuesday states — including California.
“I think we’ve got a great chance to win in California, in Texas, in Massachusetts and a number of states,” Sanders said yesterday on CBS.
He later congratulated Buttigieg on “running a strong and historic campaign” and angled for his supporters.
“I urge them to join us in the fight for real change in this country,” Sanders tweeted.
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