The Biden campaign has yet to begin hiring Florida-based staff. | Getty Biden wins endorsement of Florida Democrats in early show of force

TALLAHASSEE — In an early show of force, more than a third of Florida’s Democratic state legislators endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in his bid for president.

The endorsements, from 23 of the Legislature’s 64 Democrats, were gathered over the past month by state Rep. Joseph Geller, a Broward County Democrat and longtime Biden supporter. Geller said Biden has the best shot at bridging a growing divide between progressive Democrats and those representing the party’s more moderate, traditional wing.


“It’s a diverse list of supporters that without question shows his support here,” Geller told POLITICO. “Not only do I think he can win, but I think he can unite the factions of the Democratic Party.”

Geller began collecting endorsements in early April, weeks before Biden officially announced his candidacy on April 25, according to endorsement sheets reviewed by POLITICO. The state-level lawmakers join former Florida U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, who is also backing Biden's presidential bid.

The former vice president entered a jam-packed Democratic field, but none of the candidates had won official endorsements from Florida lawmakers.

Though the newest entrant in the Democratic field, Biden has quickly assumed front-runner status. In four polls conducted since Biden‘s formal announcement last week, he has led in each, with his biggest largest margin coming in a late April Quinnipiac University poll, which had him topping Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, with support from 38 percent of self-identified registered Democrats to Sanders’ 11 percent.

The Biden campaign has yet to begin hiring Florida-based staff.

Of the 23 endorsements, 19 are House members, and four are senators. Here’s the full list of those backing Biden:

Florida House: Joe Geller, Richard Stark, Susan Valdes, Matt Willhite, Michael Gottlieb, Wengay Newton, Amy Mercado, Shevrin Jones, Mike Grieco, Javier Fernández, Clovis Watson, Nicholas Duran, Tina Polsky, Ramon Alexander, Barbara Watson, Joe Casello, Tracie Davis, John Cortes and David Silvers.

Florida Senate: Gary Farmer, Kevin Rader, Victor Torres and Perry Thurston.