House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has formally endorsed former U.S. vice president Joe Biden for the Democratic party’s presidential nomination.
In a pre-recorded video statement released early Monday, she described Biden as “the personification of hope and courage. She cited his experience helping to pass the Affordable Care Act and implementing the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to argue that he is well positioned to lead the country amid a global pandemic.
While her endorsement is not a surprise, Pelosi chose to stay neutral during the Democratic primary process, repeatedly cautioning the party to keep its eye on the ultimate prize of defeating President Donald Trump in November.
Although Biden remains about 600 pledged delegates short of the 1,991 needed to win the Democratic nomination, all of his rivals in the party have suspended their campaigns or endorsed him, making his coronation this summer a near certainty.
In her video statement Monday, she made a plea for party unity, saying “With so much at stake, we need the enthusiasm, invigoration and participation of all Americans — up and down the ballot, and across the country.”