The 100th Lawmaker To Endorse Hillary Clinton

Making a few waves, longtime congresswoman Rosa DeLauro endorsed Hillary Clinton with a formal stamp of approval earlier this week. DeLauro, widely considered to be one of the most liberal members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation, issued a statement to Hearst Connecticut Media that endorsed Clinton for 2016. Clinton’s commitment to early-childhood education, access to paid family and medical leave, a higher minimum wage, and universal healthcare were among the the traits DeLauro listed as weighing the scale in her favor.

This is a big deal for two reasons. DeLauro’s thumbs-up now means that at least 100 politicians have already officially endorsed Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic candidate for president in 2016. The Hill estimated Wednesday that a total of 99 lawmakers declared they are in support of Hillary to run for president. Out of a total of 188 Democrats in the House, 73 have come forward in support of Hillary, issuing statements either on Twitter or in interviews. Out of the 65 female Democrat House members, 23 have so far publicly come out in favor of HRC for 2016.

Endorsing Hillary for president now is a far less risky game than it was in 2008, with Barack Obama as a dividing factor among Democrats. Still, the endorsements aren’t exactly pouring in. A total of 28 senators have given their support for HRC. The Los Angeles Times noted on Monday that Clinton had raked in more endorsements from the Senate at this point during the last election cycle. Both Obama and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio have remained mum on voicing their support for Hillary, raising speculation about why the two seem on the fence.

DeLauro’s support is a sign of hope for those who want Hillary to win Connecticut. Barack Obama beat Hillary by 4 percentage points in the 2008 Democratic primary in Connecticut, casting some doubt on Hillary’s ability to win the state. But again, that was back in 2008.

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released last month, Hillary has Connecticut in the bag. Seriously, Hillz could sweep into a Hartford Chipotle for like five minutes, scarf down a burrito bowl, kiss a few babies, and peace out, and she would still win Connecticut. She wouldn't even have to tip and the people of Connecticut would just remark how cool it was that she could be so frugal. HRC beats out every single Democrat and Republican contender in Connecticut. Over half — 53 percent — of Connecticut voters would pick Hillary to be Democratic nominee for president. Only 15 percent preferred Elizabeth Warren and a paltry 8 percent chose Joe Biden. Hillz also had double-digit leads over the four major Republican contenders, Rand Paul, Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio.

In short, Hillary is really, really, well-liked by people in Connecticut, including DeLauro. As for Connecticut’s Republican wing, they are unsurprisingly not so convinced.

"Since [...Hillary Clinton] re-emerged into the spotlight, voters have been reminded that the word 'scandal' is synonymous with 'Clinton,'” Connecticut GOP chairman Jerry Labriola Jr. told The Connecticut Post.

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