Biden picks up New Hampshire endorsements ahead of campaign stop
Less than three weeks ahead of the nation's first primary, former Vice President Joe Biden rounded up a powerful list New Hampshire political endorsements, including a handful that previously endorsed former campaign rivals.
DNC Committee member Bill Shaheen leads the pack with his coveted backing. The husband of U.S. senator from New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen guided a handful of presidential candidates through the Granite State, introducing them to first-in-the-nation voters before landing on a candidate. "We need a president and a Senate who can bring dignity back to our country and immediately command respect on the world stage," Shaheen said in a statement. "Winning the White House is only half of the battle. In order to change our course we must win the Senate."
Former New Hampshire Senate president Sylvia Larsen also voiced her support for Biden, calling him "the best candidate to lead us forward to a moral, compassionate America." Larsen, who hosted multiple house parties for Democratic candidates in 2019, served in the New Hampshire state Senate for two decades and previously backed Hillary Clinton.
Also lining up in support of the Biden campaign is former New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Joe Keefe, who formerly endorsed Senator Kamala Harris last summer. "Joe Biden has spent his entire career delivering Democratic wins and moving our country forward," Keefe said in a statement. "We need him in the White House to bring the American people together, set a more positive course and get things done."
Former U.S. congressman from New Hampshire Paul Hodes and Jim Demers — 2008 and 2012 New Hampshire co-chair for Barack Obama — also announced their endorsements Thursday. The former congressman served as campaign director for Marianne Williamson. Demers, a longtime Democratic consultant, acted as a senior adviser to Senator Cory Booker's presidential bid.
Biden returns to the early primary state Friday for a two-day swing with stops in Claremont and Salem, New Hampshire. He has spent a grand total of 17 days touring New Hampshire, significantly less than his 53 days spent in Iowa.
Yet the slew of endorsements could help boost the nationwide frontrunner, who follows Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in recent state polls. A survey by radio station WBUR released Thursday shows 29% of likely Democratic primary voters support Sanders. Pete Buttigieg (17%), former Vice President Joe Biden (14%) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (13%) remain virtually tied, according to the poll.
