Gov. Dannel P. Malloy spent Sunday making his choice for president known: he’s going with Hillary Clinton.
The pick is not a new one for Malloy, who endorsed Clinton in 2008 over then U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.
“This is a critical election for the future of our country,” Malloy said in a press release. “I believe that Hillary Clinton has the right set of skills and experience to lead our country forward. Throughout her career, Hillary has been a champion of everyday Americans and their families. I am confident that she is the best candidate to build on our economic recovery and strengthen the middle class. I am proud to give my full support to Hillary Clinton, and I look forward to working hard to make sure she is elected President.”
Malloy announced his support for Clinton on WFSB’s Face the State where host Dennis House asked the governor if he felt Clinton’s decisions as Secretary of State would impact her candidacy. House was referring specifically to Benghazi, Libya.
Malloy said “this Benghazi thing is a made up issue by Republicans who want to take out the frontrunner on the Democratic side.”
As for the private email server Clinton kept at her home, Malloy said she operated the same way as every other Secretary of State and was simply held to another standard because she is who she is.
“I think it’s time to choose the most experienced individual,” Malloy said.
He said she’s testified on several occasions before Congress on a variety of issues and “there’s never been a finding that she told anything but the truth.” Recent polls have found Clinton has an problem with voters when it comes to trustworthiness. The poll found that just 31 percent of Americans approve of the way she’s handled questions about her use of personal email while secretary of state; 55 percent disapprove. It’s 33-50 percent, approve disapprove, on her handling of questions on Benghazi and on her family’s foundation.
In a March, Quinnipiac University poll, Clinton received 53 percent of the vote, followed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts with 15 percent and Vice President Joseph Biden with 8 percent. No other candidate tops 2 percent, and 15 percent are undecided.
A recent Wisconsin straw poll found Clinton had a small lead over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. Out of 511 delegates, 252 supported Clinton with 208 backing Sanders.