(CNN) After Joe Biden announced his 2020 presidential candidacy on Thursday morning, Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons was one of the first members of Congress to offer his endorsement.

"We need leaders who will bring us together instead of tearing us apart, who will focus on the real issue facing American families, and who will restore the United States' role in the world as a force for stability, freedom, and human rights," Coons said in a statement. "Joe Biden is that leader, and I'm proud to endorse him for President of the United States."

It wasn't surprising — Coons, a centrist Delaware native who filled Biden's old Senate seat in a 2010 special election, is close with the former vice president and has been optimistically talking about his campaign for weeks.

In an interview with CNN earlier this month, he indicated his support was a given even before the former vice president officially said he would run.

"I look forward to campaigning with him and supporting him," Coons said.

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