Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who has struggled to win the support of black voters, on Thursday received his first endorsement from a black member of Congress: Rep. Anthony Brown of Maryland.

Brown – an Iraq War veteran who later served as Maryland’s lieutenant governor – said in a statement that “our country needs a president who can heal our divides and restore decency to our nation's highest office."

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“Pete's message is not defined by exclusion but welcomes everyone into the fight to tackle our nation's greatest challenges,” Brown emphasized.

Buttigieg, who last week finished his second term as South Bend, Indiana mayor, has soared the past nine months from the longest of long-shots to a top tier contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.

But he continues to struggle to garner support among black voters. His lack of backing from African-Americans – a crucial and influential segment of the Democratic presidential primary electorate – has been well documented in the media. So have his struggles with race relations during his tenure as mayor.

Former vice president Joe Biden – a top tier 2020 rival – enjoys strong support among black voters and has the backing of nine members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

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Buttigieg, who served in the War in Afghanistan as a U.S. Naval Reserve intelligence officer, noted that "as a veteran of the Iraq War, Congressman Brown understands firsthand the gravity of the decisions that are made in Washington.”

Brown was named a co-chairman of Buttigieg’s presidential campaign.