[CNBC] Sen. Amy Klobuchar will drop out of the 2020 Democratic presidential race on Monday and endorse former Vice President Joe Biden.The Minnesota senator will join her soon-to-be former rival at a rally in Dallas and support his bid for the nomination, a campaign spokesman confirmed. Klobuchar will leave the race a day before her state holds its presidential primary. Minnesota will award 75 national pledged delegates.
The departure of Klobuchar, and former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg a day earlier, leaves a chunk of the vote up for grabs across the 14 states holding primaries on Tuesday. Klobuchar and Buttigieg’s presence in the race threatened to sap delegates from Biden, who narrowly trails Sen. Bernie Sanders in the national delegate race after four contests.
Klobuchar tried to carve out space in the Democratic primary field by running on a more moderate platform than many of her rivals and touting her ability to appeal to Midwestern voters. But the third-term senator from Minnesota struggled to gain a foothold in a crowded field despite a flash of early success.
Klobuchar focused on issues such as health care and climate change during her presidential bid. As she tried to distance herself from her rivals in recent weeks, she criticized early frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders for his “Medicare for All” plan and Buttigieg for a lack of experience.