Olympic skater Michelle Kwan among senior Biden campaign staff

Olympic figure skate Michelle Kwan is one of the high-profile figures joining former Vice President Joe Biden’s newly announced campaign for president.

Kwan’s addition to the campaign was announced Thursday in a press release coinciding with the campaign launch. In an Instagram post, the world champion figure skater wrote that she was “thrilled that @joebiden announced that he’s running for President!”

{mosads}”I know that there is already a field of incredible democratic candidates and the 2020 election is so important we cannot lose sight of the big picture. Ultimately, I believe that the Vice President is the ideal candidate to unify our country with his experience, knowledge and track record of fighting for Americans,” Kwan wrote, citing Biden’s work with former President Obama to pass the Affordable Care Act, better known as ObamaCare.

“He championed marriage equality and remains at the forefront of ensuring LGBTQ rights. He has tackled climate change and pollution to protect our environment. He has earned the respect of the international community and, through his leadership, he will strengthen our relationships with our allies and stand up to meet rising global challenges,” she continued.

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I'm thrilled that @joebiden announced that he’s running for President! I know that there is already a field of incredible democratic candidates and the 2020 election is so important we cannot lose sight of the big picture. Ultimately, I believe that the Vice President is the ideal candidate to unify our country with his experience, knowledge and track record of fighting for Americans. He has worked side by side with @barackobama to pass the Affordable Care Act, which expanded health insurance to 20 million people and protected people with pre-existing conditions. He championed marriage equality and remains at the forefront of ensuring LGBTQ rights. He has tackled climate change and pollution to protect our environment. He has earned the respect of the international community and, through his leadership, he will strengthen our relationships with our allies and stand up to meet rising global challenges. Most importantly, VP Biden has a reputation for getting things done – from implementing the most comprehensive and progressive investments in our nation’s infrastructure and clean energy industries, to writing the Violence Against Women Act, to taking on the the NRA and winning (twice!). He’s the candidate that I’m proud to support because he will do what it takes to restore the soul of this nation, rebuild the backbone of the country, and unify America.

A post shared by Michelle Kwan (@michellewkwan) on Apr 25, 2019 at 8:49am PDT

Kwan previously worked on voter outreach for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s campaign during the 2016 election and is expected to serve as Biden’s surrogate director through the 2020 election.

Biden’s official announcement, which has been anticipated for weeks, cements him near the top of a wide and growing field of 2020 Democratic candidates, which has swelled to 21. 

The former vice president remains near the top of most polls of the Democratic primary so far, leading other candidates such as Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).