Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has scored the endorsement of Rep. Dave Loebsack, giving him a well-known ally in an Obama-Trump district in Iowa as he kicks off another campaign swing through the first-in-the-nation caucus state.

The seven-term congressman said Mr. Buttigieg has inspired voters with “hope and optimism” and said the 37-year-old has background and political skills needed to unite a polarized nation.

“Pete offers a new kind of leadership that we desperately need — he’s a midwestern mayor, a veteran, and is from a new generation,” Mr. Loebsack said in a statement. “Iowans and our country face great challenges like climate change, increasing health care costs, and an economy that isn’t working for the majority of Americans.”

“They can’t be solved with the same political warfare that is on display in Washington,” he said. “Pete is the candidate that can heal our divides, restore decency to the presidency, and bring this country together.”

Mr. Loebsack plans to campaign Sunday with Mr. Buttigieg in Des Moines, where Mr. Buttigieg and five other contenders are scheduled to debate on Tuesday.

Mr. Buttigieg is locked in a battle with Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont for the top spot in Iowa, according to the Real Clear Politics average of polls. The Iowa caucuses are Feb. 3.

Mr. Loeback has represented Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District since 2007.

President Trump carried the district over Hillary Clinton in 2016 after former President Obama won it in 2012.

Mr. Loebsack is the second Democratic member of the Iowa congressional delegation to endorse a candidate in the 2020 presidential field.

Rep. Abby Finkenhauer is backing former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

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