Chet Culver, the last Democrat to be Iowa’s governor, is endorsing Fred Hubbell for the job.

Hubbell’s campaign is formally announcing the endorsement today.

Culver said Hubbell is the “best candidate for Democrats to win this November.”

His endorsement comes just days before the Tuesday primary. Hubbell is one of five Democrats seeking the nomination to run against Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican.

“While we have been fortunate to have a strong candidate pool, we can only choose one nominee and that person has to give Democrats the best chance at taking on Kim Reynolds this fall,” Culver said in a statement distributed by the Hubbell campaign.

Culver added that Hubbell can “quickly pivot in the general election with the vision and organization to deliver a much needed win to turn our state around.”

Hubbell, a Des Moines businessman, has often cited his appointment by Culver in 2009 to be interim director of the state economic development department after the film tax credit scandal broke as part of a broad range of private and public sector experience.

Culver was governor from 2007 until 2011. He was defeated in 2010 in his bid for a second term by Republican Terry Branstad.

Hubbell is the front-runner in the race for the Democratic nomination, according to a pair of polls, including one published about two weeks ago by the Des Moines Register.

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Also competing for the primary nomination are union President Cathy Glasson of Coralville, former Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Andy McGuire of Des Moines, John Norris, of Des Moines, who was a top aide to former governor and agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack, and former Iowa City Mayor Ross Wilburn, who now lives in Ames.