Ayanna Pressley, in break from the 'Squad,' backs Warren for president

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., on Wednesday announced that she is backing Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., for president — breaking from her fellow members of the "Squad.”

“This election is a fight for the very soul of our nation. Elizabeth knows how to fight and knows how to win,” she said in a video statement. “I’m proud to call her my senator. I can’t wait to call her our president.”

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Pressley marks a significant endorsement for Warren, and is a sign of solidarity with the senator from her home state. The other members of the "Squad” – Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. – have all given their endorsements to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

The endorsements are seen to carry significant weight in the race for the Democratic nomination, representing the backing of high-profile and left-wing freshman congresswomen who have dominated media attention and help set the agenda for the 2020 race.

Ocasio-Cortez, in particular, has been pivotal in bringing the Green New Deal to the top of the agendas of a number of 2020 Democrats, having introduced both a plan and a resolution in Congress to combat climate change and restructure the economy. Since announcing her support of Sanders last month, Ocasio-Cortez has appeared with the Vermont senator at a rally in New York and will campaign with him in Iowa this weekend.

Pressley told The Associated Press on Monday that she had been approached by top Democrats, including Warren, Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden, seeking her nomination.

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On Wednesday, Warren responded to the backing with a message of thanks that she was Pressley's pick:

“I’m proud to be fighting alongside you to put power in the hands of the people,” she tweeted.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.