In November, Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin joined several other African American mayors from Southern cities in Atlanta to meet with former Vice President Joe Biden. The gathering was part of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate’s response to an open letter to all candidates penned in September by four black Southern mayors, including Woodfin, offering a “road map” of issues the leaders said must be address in order to obtain their respective endorsement.

“We had a very detailed and thorough discussion around the issues we raised,” Woodfin said. “I remember how I felt when I walked out of that room: I can get behind the vice president. Not only can he win to become the next president of the United States but would work with mayors as partners.”

On Monday, Woodfin, widely considered a political progressive, said he is endorsing Biden among the still-crowded field of 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls.

“He represents the bridge between the future of Democratic party and most the successful Democratic administration of my lifetime,” Woodfin told AL.com on Sunday. “We’re talking about a leader, not just an elected official. We’re talking about a leader that has been doing it for quite some time.”

Woodfin believes Biden will rally Democratic voters nationwide, which will be critical to candidates and initiatives on the remainder of the ballot. “When you think about competitive [elections] we’ll have in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Kentucky," Woodfin said. “You’ll have the balance of the U.S. Congress on the line, redistricting on the line. We need somebody on the top of that ticket who can not only help down-ballot candidates be competitive, but also someone who can expand the map across the nation.

"For me all of that points to Vice President Biden giving us that best chance.”

Three years ago, Woodfin defeated incumbent William Bell in the mayoral race with prominent backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders, the progressive who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination and is in the 2020 field. Sanders recorded a robocall for Woodfin that went out on the night before the mayoral election, telling loyal progressives the challenger would fight for “Medicare for all” and battle racial injustice.

Woodfin says he spoke with Sanders, members of his campaign and leadership teams about his endorsement of Biden. “That conversation needed to be had,” he said. “I respect a lot of things Senator Sanders stands for. I believe in a lot of the things he’s doing. I am a fan of his conviction and consider him a person I can trust and a friend. None of that goes away with this endorsement.”

Woodfin is the latest prominent African American politician to back the front-runner. Nine members of the Congressional Black Caucus have endorsed Biden, the most of any other Democratic candidate. (Sen. Kamala Harris had 10 CBC endorsements before dropping from the race last month.) Three black leaders from Indiana endorsed the 77-year-old Delaware Senator last month, including one from South Bend, where presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is mayor.

A recent survey shows Biden the overwhelming favorite among African American registered voters: 38%, compared with 15% for Sen. Bernie Sanders, 11% for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, according to BlackPAC, a political committee that engages and mobilizes black voters.

The endorsement of Woodfin, 38, is perhaps most critical because of the perceived generation gap among blacks regarding Biden. According to the same survey, Sanders enjoys twice the support of Biden among 18-24-year-old Gen Z voters (30% to 14%) and is just ahead of Biden among millennials (15% to 14%).

Earlier this month, Woodfin addressed a meeting of the Young Democrats of America in Birmingham.

“My message to them was clear,” he says "One, it is OK to support different candidates. Two, the main goal is when the primary is over, whomever is at top of this ticket –- and I feel it will be Biden, it should be Biden -- then we should all rally behind them. Democratic presidential candidates are not enemies; here is only one enemy, and that person is not a Democrat. Third, we should not pit generation against generation or race against race.

“We should decide what are the things the Democratic party stands for? And whether you’re on the left-leaning wing of the party or in the middle as a moderate, what do we need to be communicating to Americans to win the general election?”

In Alabama, Sen. Doug Jones and State Representative Juandalynne Givan have also endorsed Biden.

The September open letter was signed by Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Jackson, Miss; LaToya Cantrell, New Orleans; and Steve Benjamin, Columbia, S.C. All told, they represent, according to the letter, “1.7 million residents, including 345,000 Democratic voters, and importantly, 196 [2020] Democratic delegates…”

Among several criteria cited in the letter were plans for Increasing federal investment in affordable housing and infrastructure, expanding Community Block Grants, increasing the Economic Development Administration’s budget boosting the Small Business Administration’s commitment to minority-owned businesses, and criminal justice reform.

“The Democratic nomination runs through our communities,” the letter stated. “And given the power that we wield in this primary process, we fully intend to use our influence and elevate the interests of our residents to ensure that your campaigns deliver a value proposition consistent with their distinct needs.”

In November, Benjamin announced his support for billionaire and former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg. Cantrell and Lumumba have not publicly endorsed any candidate.

Biden appears to have largely overcome early criticism among some American Americans for his sponsorship of the 1994 crime bill, some provisions of which, such as sentencing measures and prison funding, many believe contributed to the mass incarceration that disproportionally impacted young black men and African American communities.

“There is no such thing as a perfect candidate,” Woodfin says. “We have an imperfect political system with imperfect candidates. But in this historic diverse field of Democrats, who can make sure down-ballot candidates can win? Who can expand the map? Who do voters trust? And who do voters feel they have a relationship with?

"That’s Joe Biden.”