Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) will drop out of the 2020 presidential race on Monday and plans to endorse Joe Biden at a rally in Dallas, Texas, tonight, Axios has confirmed via two campaign sources.
Why it matters: The Minnesota senator’s exit follows Pete Buttigieg’s departure on Sunday, kicking off a consolidation of Democrats’ moderate contenders.
The big picture: Klobuchar was known for her "pragmatic" approach to legislating, leaving her to the right of many considerations on liberal-leaning policies like Medicare for All and tuition-free college. But while she over-performed in Iowa and New Hampshire, she failed to gain the greater interest needed to launch her to a front-runner role.
- Klobuchar's campaign got off to a rocky start when the New York Times published an exposé shortly after her launch, alleging that she had a history of emotionally abusive staff treatment.
- But the Times later split their Democratic primary endorsement between Klobuchar and Sen. Elizabeth Warren — arguing that Warren was the best option for progressives and Klobuchar the ideal selection for moderates.
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