Former Iowa Gov. Chet Culver is endorsing Joe Biden for president, saying he believes Biden can win the general election in November.

"I think that’s arguably the toughest job Iowans have is to figure out which candidate is best positioned to defeat Donald Trump," Culver told the Des Moines Register in an interview Thursday. "And I believe Joe Biden is that candidate."

Biden, a former vice president, is one of the leading candidates hoping to pull off a win in the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses, which kick off the Democratic presidential nominating process.

Culver, a Democrat, was Iowa's governor from 2007 to 2011 and previously served as Iowa's secretary of state from 1999 to 2007.

He now runs the Chet Culver Group, a consulting firm that focuses on renewable energy and infrastructure. He lives in West Des Moines.

Culver recalled "working shoulder to shoulder" with Biden when Biden was vice president to secure federal aid for flood recovery in Cedar Rapids after devastating flooding in 2008.

"He’s been a champion his whole career in terms of fighting for the little guy, fighting for hardworking folks," Culver said of Biden.

Culver said he's going to do everything he can to help encourage undecided caucusgoers to back the former vice president.

"People are — if they haven’t made the decision already — they’re making up their minds every day," he said. "And so I’m going to just do my part as an Iowa caucusgoer, and as a supporter of Joe Biden, to help him be successful on Feb. 3."

He said he's also offered to campaign for Biden across the country after the Iowa caucuses, as he did for President Barack Obama in 2008.

Biden has spoken recently on the campaign trail about campaigning in Iowa for Culver's father, former U.S. Sen. John Culver, in the 1970s. The elder Culver served in the U.S. Senate with Biden from 1975 to 1981. He died in 2018.

Culver said he's known Biden most of his life thanks to his father's close friendship with his former senate colleague.

"Throughout my father’s life he continued to stay in touch with his friend Joe Biden, and so I had several opportunities over the years to get to know him and his sons and his wife very well. And I really have always valued his friendship, and I know my father did as well," Culver said.

Biden has secured the backing of a number of high-profile Iowa Democrats. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer endorsed him this month and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and former Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack endorsed him in November.

Biden is clustered near the top of the field in a tight race in Iowa. The latest Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll this month showed the former vice president in fourth place with 15% support, while U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders topped the poll with 20%. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren was next with 17% and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg came third with 16%.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

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