Democrats take another step toward unity as Elizabeth Warren endorses Joe Biden

WASHINGTON —  Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday endorsed Joe Biden for president, the third major endorsement in an orchestrated effort to bring the Democratic Party together for the general election drive to beat President Trump.

Following former President Obama’s endorsement Tuesday and fellow progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders’ the day before, Warren said on Twitter, “In this moment of crisis, it’s more important than ever that the next president restores Americans’ faith in good, effective government — and I’ve seen Joe Biden help our nation rebuild.”

Warren, like Sanders, ran her presidential campaign noticeably to Biden’s left, and her endorsement could help the former vice president win over skeptical progressives.

“Among all the other candidates I competed with in the Democratic primary, there’s no one who I’ve agreed with 100% of the time over the years,” Warren said in an endorsement video. “But one thing I appreciate about Joe Biden is that he will always tell you where he stands. When you disagree, he’ll listen.”

“He has shown throughout this campaign that when you come up with new facts or a good argument, he’s not too afraid or too proud to be persuaded,” Warren said.

Warren is among the women Biden is said to be considering as a possible running mate.

Biden has consulted with Warren in the weeks since she ended her campaign, speaking by phone at least once a week, according to a person familiar with the conversations.

Biden put aside a history of intense disagreement with Warren over bankruptcy policy and embraced her plan to make it easier for financially distressed families to get relief from their debts. He adopted her proposal to forgive $10,000 in student loan debt for all borrowers to provide relief during the current economic crisis.

Biden’s campaign has long appealed to many voters’ sense of nostalgia for the Obama years, when he was vice president. His ability to win over supporters of Sanders and Warren may hinge on how far he is willing to go in embracing their view that deeper changes are needed than a simple return to a troubled pre-Trump status quo.

“When Donald Trump is gone, we will need to do more than heal a nation that has been bitterly divided,” Warren said in the video. “We will need to rebuild and transform our country.”