Congresswoman Maxine Waters Endorses Senator Hillary Clinton for President

In a move that is sure to solidify a state that already supported Senator Hilary Clinton, Representative Maxine Waters officially announced her endorsement of Clinton to reporters on Tuesday. While the endorsement could have been expected by many within the political field, in no small part because she also endorsed Bill Clinton for President in 1992, this will nonetheless give Senator Clinton a powerful ally in her corner for the upcoming caucuses and primaries.

Waters has been a member of Congress since 1991, and has been representing the 35th District of California. Her area of representation encompasses South Central Los Angeles, and stretches from Inglewood down to Lawndale and Gardena, California. According to Wikipedia, she has continuously won the district by a handy margin, increasing in popularity to her receiving 83.8% of the vote in 2006. A powerful Congresswoman with major support from her constituents, she is a voice that would have been valuable to any candidate receiving her endorsement. She is also said to be one of the most influential members of the Congressional Black Caucus, according to Transworldnews.

Outside of the fact that Waters can be an important person to have in Clinton's corner, the value of this endorsement is particularly high because Waters is one of the most vocal African-American leaders in Congress. In an election that could come down to race relations and who can capture the minority vote, this is a strong statement for Senator Clinton's campaign. It also comes at a time when Clinton can use any type of momentum to carry her campaign into Super Tuesday. Trailing Senator Barack Obama in overall delegates that have already been decided (41-21) this is a spark that has been much needed for Clinton's campaign, and one that could prove to provide huge dividends in the long run.

Senator Clinton has 20 super-delegates from the state of California, so it looks like she could win the state easily, but this latest endorsement is surely the fuel she needed to push her over the top. California has been very kind to Clinton so far, in the tune of $13.6 million in contributions through November, but this latest endorsement is as good as gold for her. It could lead to a victory in California, but only time will tell just how big of an impact this will have on the entire election. For now though, this is a much needed push for Senator Clinton in her bid to win the Democratic nomination over Barack Obama and John Edwards.