MADISON - Joe Biden has snagged the endorsements of former Gov. Jim Doyle and more than three dozen other Democrats heading into Wisconsin's April 7 presidential primary.

Also endorsing the former vice president are Jennifer Shilling, the minority leader in the state Senate, and Gordon Hintz, the minority leader in the state Assembly.

“Amid panic, pandemic and economic downfall, Joe Biden has been the leader America has counted on to help us heal and come back stronger than ever,” Doyle said in a statement released by the Biden campaign. “We need a president who never loses sight of the challenges working people face, and who will fight tooth-and-nail to make sure they not only survive, but thrive.”

Biden faces U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in a primary that is being waged in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The election is expected to focus heavily on absentee voting because health officials are urging people to stay at home.

"Time and again, Joe Biden has focused squarely on the challenges working people face, then never quitting until he delivers for them," Shilling said in the campaign statement.

Also among the 40 people endorsing Biden are Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, Exact Sciences CEO Kevin Conroy, and Chris Walton, the chairman of the Milwaukee County Democrats.

Leading Wisconsin Democrats Gov. Tony Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin have not issued endorsements.

Contact Patrick Marley at patrick.marley@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @patrickdmarley.