Hillary Clinton still hasn’t made it official about running for president in 2016, but the number of Democrats who want to see that happen is growing. Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill announced today that she is officially supporting the former Secretary of State, First Lady and New York Senator for president.
“Hillary Clinton had to give up her political operation while she was making us proud, representing us around the world as an incredible Secretary of State, and that’s why Ready for Hillary is so critical,” McCaskill wrote in a statement posted by Ready For Hillary, a Democratic political action committee gathering support for Clinton.
“It’s important that we start early, building a grassroots army from the ground up, and effectively using the tools of the Internet – all things that President Obama did so successfully – so that if Hillary does decide to run, we’ll be ready to help her win,” McCaskill continued.
According to USA Today, McCaskill has backed eventual President Barack Obama during the 2008 Presidential race. “I have deep respect for Hillary Clinton,” she said at the time. “She's a smart woman and a strong leader, but at this moment in history it is very important that we look forward with optimism and hope that we've not been able to gin up in this country for a while.”
As NBC News notes, McCaskill’s early support could be crucial for Clinton. Missouri is seen as a possible swing state and McCaskill is considered a moderate Democrat. She is currently in her second term in the Senate after she barely won re-election last year.
While Clinton hasn’t said anything official about running for president and she has taken criticism for her response to the Benghazi attack, she recently launched a Twitter account. She added “TBD” to the end of her bio.
image: Wikimedia Commons
