Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay US presidential candidate from a major party, on Sunday ended his campaign to be the Democratic nominee -- giving a major boost to fellow centrist Joe Biden. The 38-year-old Buttigieg's surprise decision to exit the race was set to shake up "Super Tuesday," when 14 states vote this week. It is expected to further boost the fortunes of Biden after the former vice president scored a resounding victory in South Carolina's primary on Saturday. Biden has emerged as the chief moderate challenger to frontrunner Bernie Sanders, the firebrand leftist who has taken the race by storm and is looking to score big wins on Tuesday in states like crown jewel California. Buttigieg, a military veteran and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was scheduled to address supporters later Sunday in his home town. He emerged as a major player in the contest by securing a narrow victory in the Iowa caucuses, earning widespread attention for his unflustered and professional approach in an often bitter Democratic nomination battle. But his third place finish in Nevada and a poor showing in South Carolina confirmed polls suggesting that he struggled to build a broad coalition, including support from black voters -- a key Democratic demographic. Biden's resounding victory in the first southern state to vote in the race has thrust him back into contention, after miserable showings in the first three states. With 48 percent of the vote in South Carolina, Biden more than doubled the 20 percent won by Sanders -- positioning him as the leftist senator's main rival. "This is a big boost for us," Biden said Sunday on CNN, but "we have a long way to go." Sanders continues to hold poll leads in many of the Super Tuesday states -- including California -- and he had double-digit leads in two nationwide surveys released Friday. "I think we've got a great chance to win in California, in Texas, in Massachusetts and a number of states," Sanders said Sunday on CBS. But into an already turbulent Democratic race -- which has gradually winnowed down a record-large field -- Biden's victory Saturday injected further uncertainty. "The biggest question is whether this will slingshot Joe Biden into victory in some Super Tuesday states," said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. The victory there, powered by support from black voters, was Biden's first in the race, but came at a crucial time, helping dispel some earlier doubts about the 77-year-old's energy level and broad appeal. South Carolina added some clarity: billionaire businessman Tom Steyer, who spent $23 million campaigning in the state, dropped out of the race on Saturday after taking just 11 percent of the vote. Pressure is beginning to mount on other trailing Democrats -- including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Amy Klobuchar, both in single digits in South Carolina -- to follow Steyer's and Buttigieg's example and then swiftly throw their weight behind a frontrunner. Warren, Klobuchar and billionaire Michael Bloomberg have all made it clear that they will stick around at least through Super Tuesday. Buttigieg was feted by rivals including Bloomberg, another moderate, who has poured a staggering half billion dollars from his personal fortune into campaign advertising. Buttigieg "ran a strong campaign that inspired audiences and made history," Bloomberg said. "His dedication to serving our nation -- as a mayor and veteran -- reflected a love of country I deeply admire." Many Buttigieg supporters are unlikely to shift their backing to Bloomberg, whom Buttigieg has openly accused of trying to "buy" his way into the presidential race. As the race goes forward, money will loom ever larger. Biden claimed he had been outspent 40-to-1 in South Carolina, but said his victory there brought in an infusion of $5 million in overnight donations. Sanders has raised huge amounts in mostly small donations, including $46 million in February. Biden argued on Sunday that as a centrist, he would be far more effective atop the party's ticket in November against Trump than Sanders, who calls himself a democratic socialist. "I can bring along Democratic victory up and down the ticket," Biden said on ABC. "I can win the United States Senate. I can keep the House and increase the number" there. Trump himself is said to see Sanders as an easy target in a country where the "socialist" label can be toxic. bbk-mlm/bgs