Gabbard exits primary, endorses Biden

Rep.+Tulsi+Gabbard%2C+D-Hawaii%2C+speaks+with+Maddie+Anderson%2C+chair+of+the+Story+County+Democrats%2C+Aug.+10+outside+Cafe+Diem+in+Ames.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, speaks with Maddie Anderson, chair of the Story County Democrats, Aug. 10 outside Cafe Diem in Ames.

Jake Webster

Tulsi Gabbard suspended her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination early March 19, leaving the primary fight a one-on-one contest between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.

Gabbard released a video on Twitter announcing the end of her campaign. The Hawai’i congresswoman noted the ongoing global pandemic, calling on Americans to come together to defeat the virus. She also offered her “full support” to Biden in the video.

“After Tuesday’s election, it is clear that Democratic primary voters have chosen Vice President Joe Biden to be the person who will take on President Trump in the general election,” Gabbard said in the video. “I know Vice President Biden and his wife and I’m grateful to have called his son Beau a friend, who also served in the National Guard. Although I may not agree with the vice president on every issue, I know that he has a good heart and he’s motivated by his love for our country and the American people.”

Gabbard’s path to the Democratic nomination closed with Tuesday’s contests. In order to win a majority of delegates to win the Democratic nomination at the July convention, the congresswoman would have to win more than 100 percent of remaining delegates. She had accumulated a total of two delegates throughout the primary process.

In the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses, she received none of the state delegate equivalents that are used to determine a winner and won 341 first preference votes, effectively a popular vote.

Gabbard has served in the House of Representatives since winning a seat in the 2012 elections, she announced during her presidential campaign she would not seek a fifth-term in 2020 to focus on her presidential campaign.