Influential black legislator and the No. 3 Democrat in the House of Representatives says he would endorse former US Vice President Joe Biden's bid for president in the 2020 election.
"I want the public to know that I'm voting for Joe Biden. South Carolinians should vote for Biden," James Clyburn said alongside Biden on Wednesday while speaking at Trident Technical College in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Clyburn's endorsement comes before South Carolina's primary on Saturday, the 2020 Democratic candidates' fourth presidential nominating contest.
Biden is counting on his traditional strong support from black voters, who make up about 60% of the state's Democratic electorate, to help him win.
"South Carolina chooses presidents. They decided to launch Bill Clinton to the White House. And up to that time it didn't look like he was going very far. But you did. You launched my buddy Barack Obama to the White House. And I firmly believe once again on Saturday you hold in your hands in South Carolina the power to choose the next President of the United States. And I'm here, heart and soul, with everything I've got to earn the support of the people of South Carolina," Biden said, speaking after Clyburn.
Meanwhile, Margie Bright Matthews, another South Carolina state senator who stood with Clyburn, said that Democrats should unify behind Biden.
"Let's stop fighting each other, because divided we are going to fall," she said.
According to a poll released on the same day, Biden has an 18-point lead over his Democratic presidential primary opponents in South Carolina.
Biden has 35 percent support in the Clemson University poll released just days ahead of Saturday’s primary.
Businessman Tom Steyer, who has focused much of his campaign on South Carolina, pulled in a distant second at 17 percent support in the poll.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, the leading candidate in the race after three nominating contests, trailed Steyer in the poll by 4 points at 13 percent support.
However, in the latest NBC News-Marist poll, Biden held a 27-percent lead compared to Sanders with support at 23 percent.