By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, former Vice President Joe Biden officially jumped into the 2020 presidential race. Among his earliest endorsements was Alabama’s own U.S. Senator Doug Jones.

In a tweet, Jones stated:

The quality that makes Joe stand out is his ability to bring people together to find common ground while standing up for what he believes is right. We need to listen to each other & get things done for working people. Joe can, and will, do that. That’s why I support Joe Biden. https://t.co/vxnLQu0XDZ— Doug Jones (@DougJones) April 25, 2019

Jones’ endorsement of Biden was criticized by Alabama Republican Party Chair Terry Lathan.

“Senator Jones and Vice President Biden are ‘two of a kind.’ Both support bigger government, ObamaCare and abortion — all issues the majority of Alabamians oppose,” she said. “As long as the Democrats embrace their liberal propaganda and platform, Alabama will continue to reject their candidates. It’s just not Alabama.”

Sen. Jones is also up for re-election in 2020. When Jones won his seat in 2017, Biden was his highest-profile endorsement of the campaign.

Biden is the latest to announce a run for the Democratic presidential nomination. The still-growing primary field of 21 candidates includes political heavyweights like Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and several rising stars like former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Alabama’s presidential primary will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.