Two NC Democrats in Congress already picked Biden. Now David Price makes his choice.
North Carolina’s three Democratic U.S. House members are in agreement: They’re all backing former Vice President Joe Biden in the presidential primary.
U.S. Rep. David Price, of Chapel Hill, endorsed Biden on Tuesday morning after voting early. Reps. G.K. Butterfield of Wilson and Alma Adams of Charlotte previously backed Biden in the Democratic field.
The North Carolina primary is on March 3, though in-person early voting is underway.
“We’re in a fight for the soul of America. President Donald Trump abuses his platform at the White House on a daily basis, putting his personal interests and vendettas ahead of our country — both at home and on the world stage — all at the expense of the American people,” Price said in a statement.
“With so much at stake, we need an experienced leader to take the fight straight to Donald Trump, win back the White House, and be ready to go on day one. The best person for the job is Joe Biden.”
Biden, long the front-runner in the national race, has been supplanted by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has been at the top in the first three voting states: Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Sanders, a democratic socialist, has taken over the national polling lead.
Biden’s lead in North Carolina polls, too, is shrinking with Sanders and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg eating into his once formidable edge. The three candidates were in a statistical tie atop the field, according to a WRAL poll released last week.
Voters in South Carolina will make their choices Saturday. Then the race becomes national. North Carolina is the third biggest haul available on Super Tuesday when 14 states, including California, Texas and Virginia, vote.
With Sanders seemingly on track to rack up delegates on Super Tuesday, some Democrats are expressing their worries that a Sanders nomination could harm the party’s chances in November and imperil other Democrats in down-ballot races in states like North Carolina. Butterfield said Democrats could not win the state’s electoral votes, which they last won in 2008, with Sanders at the top of the ticket.
“A vote for Bernie around here would mean that we’re going to lose our governor,” Adams told Spectrum News, referring to Gov. Roy Cooper’s re-election bid.
Price said he would “gladly support whomever our party nominates,” but said he thinks Biden offers the best chance for Democratic victories in November.
“I believe Joe Biden is the best candidate to unite our party and our nation in a way that ensures Democratic control of not only the White House, but also the House and Senate,” Price said.
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This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 9:09 AM.
