The Latest: Ex-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid backs Biden

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The latest on the 2020 presidential election (all times local):

2:25 p.m.

Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has endorsed Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The move comes as part of an establishment avalanche in the former vice-president’sfavour heading into the Super Tuesday lineup that features 14 state primaries.

“Biden will be a much-needed stabilizing force following Trump’s disastrous term, offering a positive and progressive alternative to Trump’s dark vision of racism, xenophobia and policies built on cruelty and exclusion,” Reid said in a statement. “I believe Biden is best able to defeat Donald Trump and enact the policies we all care about.”

Reid notably held his endorsement ahead of the Nevada caucuses on Feb. 22. Bernie Sanders won Nevada by a wide margin, but Biden came in second place, giving his campaign a boost after dismal finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Biden parlayed that improvement into a resounding South Carolina primary win Feb. 29.

Amy Klobuchar, one of Biden’s Democratic presidential rivals, dropped out of the 2020 race on Monday and also announced plans to endorse Biden.

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1:30 p.m.

Amy Klobuchar is ending her Democratic presidential campaign and is set to endorse Joe Biden.

Her campaign says she is flying to Dallas and plans to join Biden at his rally Monday night.

The Minnesota senator is the third presidential candidate to drop out of the race in less than 48 hours, following Pete Buttigieg’s departure on Sunday and Tom Steyer’s exit on Saturday.

Their decisions reflect an urgent push among moderates to consolidate behind Biden as a counter to progressive rival Bernie Sanders.

Klobuchar outlasted several better-known and better-funded Democrats, thanks to a better-than-expected third-place finish in in New Hampshire. But she couldn’t turn that into success elsewhere.

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1:15 p.m.

Officials say turnout in Saturday’s Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina was the largest in state history.

Democratic Party officials said Monday that more than 539,000 votes were cast in the contest. That’s nearly 7,000 more than in 2008, the previous record.

Officials said turnout increased significantly in several counties, in some places by more than 80%.

South Carolina has open primaries, meaning that some Republicans may have crossed over to vote in the Democratic contest. State Republicans opted not to hold their own primary this year, citing cost savings and high levels of GOP support in the state for President Donald Trump.

Former Vice-President Joe Biden won Saturday’s primary, providing a much-needed boost for his campaign heading into Super Tuesday, when 14 states and a U.S. territory vote.

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Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, “Ground Game.”

The Associated Press

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