Cortez Masto says Clinton is the ‘champion Nevadans need’

Senate candidate and former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto today endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for president, a little more than a week before the state’s Democratic caucuses.

“I’ve been focused on my race, getting out, talking to voters, talking about the issues,” Cortez Masto said. “But I think like many other voters, you’re looking at candidates to see who’s the one that you can support that’s going to address the issues and things you care about. For me, that is Hillary.”

Cortez Masto cited Clinton’s focus on comprehensive immigration reform, raising the minimum wage and ensuring women receive equal pay for equal work as some of the reasons she was drawn to the former secretary of state.

But she wouldn’t go as far as to say that her campaign paralleled Clinton’s in terms of issues and stances.

“I will tell you this, you just have to look at the Democratic candidates in general from presidential on down,” Cortez Masto said. “We’re focused on the issues people are talking about, that I hear every day in Nevada that they’re concerned about. That’s what I’m focusing on.”

Speaking to a small group of Nevada Women for Hillary alongside Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards this morning, Cortez Masto said it was an honor to endorse Clinton, calling her the “champion Nevadans need fighting for us in the White House.”

Cortez Masto is Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s hand-picked replacement for his Senate seat.

Reid has declined to endorse a candidate in the Democratic race, telling Politico recently that he didn’t want his endorsement to take away from the “focus on the caucus.”