WASHINGTON, June 17 (UPI) -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., the man in charge of Democratic efforts to retake the Senate, endorsed Hillary Clinton for president on Friday.
Tester, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, frequently has to work with more conservative, red state Democrats in his home state Montana and in places across the country where there are competitive races. He had pointedly not taken a position on the Democratic presidential primary before Friday, making him one of the last Democratic holdouts in the Senate to back Clinton's campaign.
His office released a statement, saying Tester was endorsing Hillary, while also thanking Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for his efforts in the campaign.
"Hillary is the most qualified person on the ballot to unite our nation at a time when dangerous rhetoric threatens to divide us. I look forward to working with her to create jobs, strengthen the middle class, keep our country safe, and invest in education and infrastructure so we can move our nation forward," he said. "I want to thank Bernie for running a strong grassroots campaign, energizing young folks, and talking about important issues facing our nation. Now it's time for us to come together to win up and down the ballot this November."
By remaining neutral through the primary process -- and even a week longer than President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden -- Tester avoided the potential problem another top Democratic leader, Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, found herself in with Sanders.
Wasserman Schultz has been the target of ire from Sanders supporters who say she steered the DNC to aide Clinton in the primaries.
