A New Hampshire state lawmaker said he is switching his presidential endorsement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) over electability concerns.
State representative Michael Pedersen (D.) credited Klobuchar with a "proven track record of winning in Trump country" and said Warren's electoral victories have only been in the "liberal northeast."
"I like both candidates a lot and am friends with staff on both teams, however, I think that Sen. Klobuchar is more electable across the country than Sen. Warren," Pederson told NBC News. "She has a proven track record of winning in Trump country. And Sen. Warren has a proven track record of winning in liberal northeast."
He also said this week's debate cemented his change of heart. He saw Warren's feud with Sanders as an indication that the two don't "appeal widely across the nation as Sen. Klobuchar."
After the conclusion of the debate, Warren accused Sanders of calling her a liar on national television. Earlier this week, Warren claimed Sanders told her in a 2018 meeting that he did not believe a woman could win the presidency. Sanders denied making the claim, while Warren stuck to her account during the debate.
Warren is also losing ground to Sanders and former vice president Joe Biden in New Hampshire. The latest polling shows Biden in first place with 26 percent of the vote, followed by Sanders with 22 percent and Warren with 18 percent. The same poll showed Warren in the lead last October with 25 percent of the vote.
Another January poll, from Monmouth University, showed former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg leading the New Hampshire primary with 20 percent, while Warren sits in fourth with 15 percent. Klobuchar came in fifth with 6 percent.