New Hampshire Rep. Kuster endorses Buttigieg

New Hampshire Rep. Ann McLane Kuster is backing Pete Buttigieg in the Democratic presidential primary.

The congresswoman called Buttigieg a “young, inspiring” leader capable of uniting the country, likening him to former President Barack Obama, whom she backed during the 2008 primary before she was a member of the House. 

“With our country so consumed by division, Pete Buttigieg is the leader who can finally turn the page on the Trump presidency and bring our nation together to usher in a new era where we finally solve our most urgent problems,” Kuster said in a statement shared by the campaign.  

“We need a leader who recognizes that the office of the presidency has the power to bridge our differences — and Pete Buttigieg is that leader. Like Barack Obama before him, Pete is young, inspiring, brings fresh ideas to the table, and is motivated to win,” she added.

The congresswoman’s Wednesday endorsement comes less than a month ahead of the New Hampshire primary. She will also serve as a national campaign co-chair. 

Kuster will introduce Buttigieg Friday at a town hall in Concord, N.H.

She is the first member of the New Hampshire congressional delegation to endorse a candidate in the primary. 

With our country so consumed by division, @PeteButtigieg is the leader who can finally turn the page on the Trump presidency and bring our nation together. He has the courage to break from the past to lead us to a better future—I’m excited to endorse him to be our next president.

— Ann McLane Kuster (@AnnMcLaneKuster) January 15, 2020

New Hampshire voters will be the second in the nation to choose a Democrat in a Feb. 11 primary, about a week after the Feb. 3 Iowa Caucus. 

Buttigieg has been hovering in fourth place among likely Democratic New Hampshire primary voters, according to recent polls. He’s at 13.3 percent in the Granite State, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls. 

Former Vice President President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are leading in the first primary state at 23.2 percent and 22.3 percent, respectively, according to the RCP average. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is third at 17 percent.