By Ana Monteiro
Bloomberg News
WASHINGTON — Democrat Amy Klobuchar vowed to battle on for the 2020 Democratic nomination even as her support lags and said she hasn't made a deal to work in concert with Joe Biden's campaign in Iowa.
The senator from Minnesota made her pitch on "Fox News Sunday," a day before the state's first-in-the-nation nominating contest. She said she's one of two presidential hopefuls from the middle of the U.S., and has been elected in the past by appealing to moderate Republicans and independents as well as Democrats.
"I'm going to New Hampshire no matter what," Klobuchar said, referring to the state that will hold the next nominating contest, on Feb. 11.
"I've got the endorsements of every major paper in New Hampshire, including the (Manchester) Union Leader, that have endorsed," she said. "And so of course I'm going there; we have a strong operation there."
Klobuchar, 59, has been traversing Iowa all weekend. She and fellow Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are taking advantage of the break in Trump's impeachment trial to campaign in the state after being mostly absent for two weeks.
The Iowa caucus results could make or break her campaign. She, Warren and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg are banking on strong performances in the state to catapult them forward through the primary season. Vice President Biden and Sanders still far outpace their competitors in national polls.
The RealClearPolitics average of Iowa polls shows Klobuchar ranked fifth with 8.8%, below the threshold that would let her pick up delegates. She's had support as high as 13% in some surveys.
Klobuchar said she hadn't, as has been reported, come to an arrangement with Biden's campaign for her supporters in the caucuses to switch to Biden if she falls short of the 15% threshold required in each precinct.
"No deals," she said. "I am just focused on our own race here."
