U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria is endorsing Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 Democratic primary, calling him “battle-tested on the world stage” and pitching him as the candidate most prepared to take on President Donald Trump.
Luria announced her endorsement Sunday night along with two other U.S. Reps., both from battleground districts in Pennsylvania: Chrissy Houlahan, of Chester County, and Conor Lamb, of Pittsburgh suburbs. All three share a military background and represent districts that have traditionally been held by Republicans but flipped in 2018.
“(Joe Biden) will defeat Donald Trump and win tough districts like mine,” Luria said in a statement released Sunday. “When he walks into the Oval Office, he will immediately get to work, rebuild the middle class and restore our standing on the world stage.”
Luria’s backing is the latest high-profile endorsement Biden has gained up since he announced his bid for the Democratic nomination in April of 2019.
The former vice president has been the front runner of the Democratic field since he entered the race, though the competition is much closer Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states who will vote in the primary contest. Recent polls show him in a virtual deadlock in Iowa with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s as the Feb. 3 Iowa Caucus quickly approaches.
Luria, a Navy veteran, ousted former Rep. Scott Taylor in the 2018 midterm election. She has, at times, been a sharp critic of Trump since taking office as a part of a wave of Democrats who helped flip the U.S. House by winning districts that Trump carried in 2016. In December, she voted to impeach Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
“Our current president has repeatedly failed to put country over party and his own personal gain,” she said in the statement. “At this moment in history, we need a leader who is dedicated to correcting our course and restoring the soul of this nation. That’s Joe Biden.”
Peter Coutu, 757-222-5124, peter.coutu@pilotonline.com
