Washington – Sen. Chris Murphy announced Thursday that he is backing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in her bid for the White House.
“I am proud to support her. I’m all in,” Murphy, D-Conn., said in a statement.
Murphy had previously praised Clinton, a former secretary of state, for her prowess in foreign affairs, but had held back from a former endorsement. But now he said he’s an enthusiastic supporter, calling the former first lady and former senator “a fighter” and saying, “Hillary Clinton has started this campaign the right way — by listening to everyday Americans all across this country about their concerns, hopes, and fears.”
“She has spent time in the highest echelons of government, but she understands that families in America today are struggling to pay all their bills and save for college and retirement while wages seem stuck in neutral,” Murphy said.
He also said he’s confident “she understands better than any other candidate, how a balanced approach between hard and soft power is the best way to protect America from developing threats overseas.”
Murphy’s endorsement comes on the eve of Clinton’s visit to Connecticut on Friday, where she will be the beneficiary of a $2,700-a-plate campaign fundraiser at the Greenwich home of Malcolm and Carolyn Wiener.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was among the earliest endorsers of Clinton’s campaign. He threw his support to Clinton last summer, at a fundraiser in the state for the Ready for Hillary PAC, although Blumenthal said at the time he wasn’t even sure Clinton would run.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, has also endorsed Clinton.
In all, about half of the congressional Democrats have endorsed Clinton, leaving her Democratic rivals for the White House at a disadvantage on Capitol Hill.
Those include former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley ;Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who is running as a Democrat; and former Gov. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, who has been a Republican and an independent and is now seeking the Democratic nomination.