Mayor Francis Slay Endorses Hillary Clinton

St. Louis mayor endorses Hillary Clinton

JIM SALTER

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS - Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton picked up support Thursday from St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, Missouri's first prominent Democrat to publicly endorse a candidate.

"She values what I value: safer, stronger neighborhoods; a better future for all of our children; and good jobs," Slay said in a statement released through the Clinton campaign. "If Sen. Clinton becomes President Clinton, I know St. Louis will have a strong advocate in the White House."

Clinton called Slay "one of a new breed of mayors who are revitalizing their cities and setting an example for the rest of the country. I'm honored to have his support."

Slay was a St. Louis alderman for 10 years, was president of the Board of Aldermen from 1995 to 2001, and has served as mayor since then.

Other Democrats in Missouri have been reluctant to announce an endorsement. Attorney General Jay Nixon, who is running for governor in 2008, has said he wants Missouri to be hotly contested in the Democratic primary.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., told reporters this week she is considering making an endorsement sometime before Missouri's primary next year. She has not said who she favors.

Two prominent Missouri Republicans are backing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Gov. Matt Blunt helped Romney raise $6.5 million in a one-day fundraising blitz earlier this year. Blunt and Romney also took a secret vacation to Alaska last year. Largely because of Blunt, Romney was the keynote speaker earlier this year at the annual statewide GOP conference in suburban St. Louis.

Also supporting Romney is former Sen. Jim Talent, the Republican defeated by McCaskill in November. In February, Talent was named as a top advisor for Romney, serving as unpaid domestic policy task force chairman.

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, earlier this month announced his support for former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn, comparing him to another one-time actor, Ronald Reagan. In an editorial in the Southeast Missourian newspaper, Kinder called Thompson "the closest thing to a natural we've had (or are likely to see) since Reagan."