Hillary Clinton visits Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s campaign headquarters in Davie, Fla. | Sergio Bustos/POLITICO Florida Clinton endorses Wasserman Schultz She makes surprise visit to congresswoman's campaign headquarters in Broward County

DAVIE — Hillary Clinton paid an unexpected visit to U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s campaign office Tuesday and gave her friend a full-throated endorsement as she faces a tough challenge from a political newcomer.

“I’m here to urge you to keep doing what you’re doing every single day on behalf of Debbie,” Clinton said, stressing the congresswoman’s support of expanding and shoring up Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid.


“I want to have her in the Congress by my side, working day after day to actually implement the agenda that we are fighting for,” Clinton said.

In securing Clinton’s endorsement, Wasserman Schultz lays claim to the support of the Democratic trinity: the presidential nominee, President Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden. And while endorsements don’t guarantee victory, the backing of the party’s most-recognizable figures in Florida’s 23 rd Congressional District is expected to go a long way in Wasserman Schultz’s race against Tim Canova, a Nova University law school professor, who is challenging her in the upcoming Aug. 30 Democratic primary.

In Florida’s March 15 presidential primary, Clinton beat Bernie Sanders badly in the South Florida district, which she carried with 69 percent of the vote. Polls show Wasserman Schultz is winning the district, though she she’s starting to advertise on TV and has an army of door-knockers to make sure she doesn’t lose.

“A friend of mine, who lives in Plantation, told me he’s already had his door knocked on here times by people representing your campaign,” Clinton said. “And I love to hear that because that’s exactly what’s going to win it.”

The fact that Clinton, Obama and Biden went out of their way to back Wasserman Schultz also indicates they believe she’s well-positioned to win her primary — her first intraparty primary in 24 years.

Canova, who counts Sanders as a backer and has raised an astonishing amount of money for a political newcomer, suggested that it was risky of Clinton to endorse Wasserman Schultz — who resigned her post as Democratic National Committee chair amid a series of embarrassing revelations and loss of support in the party.

“We don’t see Secretary Clinton endorsing Debbie Wasserman Schultz in public, but in the quiet of Wasserman Schultz’s office,” Canova said in an email.

“Secretary Clinton would be well advised not to campaign too publicly with Wasserman Schultz, who is one of the most unpopular Democrats in the country and will only drag the ticket down nationwide and right here in Florida,” Canova wrote. “It’s not surprising that Wasserman Schultz would prefer to rely on outside endorsements, rather than defend her record in any public debate or candidates’ forum.”

Neither Clinton nor Wasserman Schultz mentioned Canova by name. Instead, their speeches were trained on Donald Trump.

“This is far beyond just a simple disagreement with Republicans. This man is dangerous. He doesn’t have the temperament,” Wasserman Schultz said. “He has engaged in misogynistic, horrific, bigoted criticism and language that is absolutely unacceptable for anyone, but particularly for someone who is the nominee of one of our major political parties.”

Clinton, pointing to Wasserman Schultz’s young children and her support of paid-family leave legislation and child-care initiatives, told the small crowd in the Davie headquarters that the representative “brings a perspective to Congress that is sorely missing.”

I am sometimes accused by my opponent of playing the ‘woman card.’ And I have to tell you -- as I’ve said many times before -- if that’s playing the women card, then deal us in,” Clinton said. “Please do whatever you can to make sure Debbie has a resounding victory on Aug. 30. And then after you take a few days off, we’ve got to get back to work for November, right?”

POLITICO Florida Senior Editor Sergio Bustos contributed to this report.