Rep. Andy Kim (D-Marlton) plans to endorse Pete Buttigieg for the Democratic presidential nomination, the New Jersey Globe has learned.

The move comes days after Buttigieg appears to have narrowly won the Iowa Caucuses and gives the South Bend mayor the support of a freshman House Democrat who had worked in the Obama/Biden White House as a National Security Council aide.

Kim and Buttigieg attended Oxford University together as Rhodes Scholars.

“I know Pete, I trust Pete and I believe he’s ready to move our country forward,” Kim said. I’ve known him nearly half my life, we shared the joys of each other’s weddings, and we had hard conversations about deployments to Afghanistan and what it means to serve our nation.”

Kim said his own experience in the White House “and

“I had the honor to work at the White House and in the Situation Room before and there were three traits that I look for in a President. Have they been tested, do they know how to make a decision, and do they have a strong moral compass and a capacity for empathy where they can put themselves in other people’s shoes? Over the years I’ve seen Pete not only step up to face some of our nation’s toughest challenges with calm and precision, but he also truly cares about helping people live their best lives,” Kim said. ” I’m proud to stand with him in his fight to become the next President of the United States.”

Biden had campaigned in New Jersey’s 3rd district for Kim during his 2018 race against Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-Toms River), and had hosted a high dollar Kim fundraiser in Philadelphia.

Like the rest of the New Jersey delegation, Kim had endorsed Cory Booker earlier this year.

Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) endorsed Biden the day after Booker dropped out of the race. Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-Newark) is also backing Biden.

Kim will become the seventh incumbent House member to endorse Buttigieg.

Correction: an earlier version of this story omitted Payne’s endorsement.

This story was updated at 8:39 PM to include comment from Kim.