WASHINGTON — John Kerry, the former senator from Massachusetts, secretary of state and Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, threw his support behind former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential bid on Thursday.

Kerry praised Biden in a statement released by the Biden campaign, saying that "there’s never been a time more urgent for leadership at home."

“I believe Joe Biden is the president our country desperately needs right now, not because I’ve known Joe so long, but because I know Joe so well," Kerry said. "I’ve never before seen the world more in need of someone who on Day One can begin the incredibly hard work of putting back together the world Donald Trump has smashed apart."

"Joe is uniquely the person running for president who can beat Donald Trump and get to work on Day One at home and in the world with no time to waste."

Kerry will campaign with Biden on Friday in Iowa and in New Hampshire on Sunday.

The endorsement comes as Biden has amplified his qualifications to be commander-in-chief, given his foreign policy experience. On Wednesday, his campaign released a video saying that "the world is laughing at President Trump."

Kerry has a long history with Biden — they served together in the Obama administration and in the Senate, where both were on the Foreign Relations Committee. When Biden left the Senate to become vice president, Kerry succeeded him as the chairman of the committee.

With his deep relationships on Capitol Hill, Biden is outpacing his Democratic peers in endorsements from sitting lawmakers, too. He's backed by 22 House representatives, five senators and three governors — more of each category, and more endorsements in total, than any other candidate in the race.