Centrist Democrat comes out for Biden in Michigan

Former Vice President Joe Biden won the endorsement of Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) ahead of the Wolverine State’s primary Tuesday.

Slotkin, a centrist lawmaker who flipped a Republican-held district in 2018, said she voted for Biden early precisely because of his moderation, which she said was appealing to her constituents.

“Today, I filled out my absentee ballot for Joe Biden. I did so for a host of reasons, but most importantly because I hear from my constituents every day that they want an end to the all-or-nothing politics that have so polarized our country,” she said in a statement.

“In Michigan, we have a rich tradition of hard work, decency, and passionate pragmatism. That is what is expected of us in our lives, and that is what I believe we need from our elected leaders. That is why I support Joe Biden,” she added.

Today, I filled out my absentee ballot in Michigan’s primary for Joe Biden. Here’s why: pic.twitter.com/gsZwMYyyWo

— Elissa Slotkin (@ElissaSlotkin) March 5, 2020

The endorsement comes ahead of Michigan’s primary next week against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who narrowly won the state in 2016 over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

Biden, who backed Slotkin’s 2018 bid, has racked up endorsements from a slate of Michigan establishment figures, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. 

The Wolverine State’s primary, which will allocate 125 delegates and is the biggest state out of the six casting ballots on Tuesday, will be a crucial test of both Biden’s and Sanders’s support among white working class voters in a state that President Trump flipped four years ago. 

Biden enters the race with the wind at his back after a nearly 30-point win in South Carolina’s primary Saturday and victories in 10 out of 14 Super Tuesday states. The winning streak helped cement his hold over the primary field’s centrist lane and led to an avalanche of endorsements from high-profile Democrats. 

Sanders, meanwhile, won California, Colorado, Utah and his home state of Vermont on Super Tuesday.