Baucus backing Biden’s 2020 bid

Former Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has endorsed former Joe Biden’s Democratic presidential bid.

The former vice president’s campaign announced Baucus’s endorsement on Sunday, one day ahead of the Iowa caucuses that will kick off the Democratic primary process.

Baucus, who served as U.S. ambassador to China in the Obama administration, said in a statement that Biden “is a man of integrity and strong character, exactly what we need in our next president.”

“Joe Biden is a respected leader with the domestic and foreign affairs experience critical to beat Donald Trump and move our country forward,” he added . “That’s why I’m proud to endorse Joe Biden for President.”

Biden’s campaign touts more than 1,300 endorsements from national, state and local officials.

The former vice president is one of four 2020 Democratic candidates expected to lead the Iowa caucuses, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg. 

Biden held a slight lead in a Friday poll by Park Street Strategies for the Hawkeye State, with a 2-percentage-point lead over Sanders and 3-point leads over Warren and Buttigieg. The RealClearPolitics average currently shows Sanders with a 3.6 percentage point lead in Iowa.