Biden handily leads the Democratic primary field in endorsements, according to FiveThirtyEight’s tracker, though the effectiveness of endorsements varies. Endorsements do show support among party leaders and elected officials, helping to build a consensus around a candidate. But with so many people running, they have been slow to come, and some of the party’s most popular figures are still waiting to endorse. Some elected Democrats also become helpful with fund-raising, but they’re not essential. Buttigieg has relatively few endorsements but has bested most of his rivals in fund-raising and still leads in some polls.