Bill Clinton Endorses Shelli Yoder for Congress

Former President Bill Clinton has endorsed Democratic congressional candidate Shelli Yoder in Indiana’s Ninth District contest.

Yoder is challenging Republican incumbent Todd Young in what has been called as a respectful race. The two recently had their last of two debates.

In a statement, Clinton praises Yoder for her support of an agenda that supports the middle-class and he says that Congress needs fresh voices.

From the Yoder campaign:

"I heartily endorse Shelli Yoder for Congress," President Clinton said, "because as a working mother, she knows the country works better with a strong middle class. She understands that advancing equal opportunity and promoting decent wages and employment are both morally right and good economics. Shelli has great leadership qualities and won’t engage in the hyper-partisanship that overtook our Congress and left our nation gridlocked at the time we most needed strong leadership. Congress needs more fresh and authentic voices. Congress needs more genuine leaders like Shelli Yoder."

Yoder campaign manager Katie Carlson says this is an important coup for Yoder's grassroots effort, which just launched its first campaign ad this weekend.

"The message that Shelli has been using for this entire campaign has really matched the message that he spoke so strongly of during the Democratic National Convention this year. Of common sense politics and good people making good decisions for the country and not necessarily for corporations," she says.

Clinton and Yoder met during his recent stop in Indianapolis campaigning for Democratic Senate candidate Joe Donnelly.

Yoder has also been endorsed by a number of former Indiana elected officials, including Ninth District Congressman Lee Hamilton, U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh and Indiana First Lady Judy O’Bannon.

She has not received much support from the national Democratic Party, which at one time appeared interested in taking back the House. Few political observers give the Democrats a shot, and believe the GOP will lose seats but retain control.

The Yoder camp acknowledges they're disheartened about receiving little attention from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, but add the Clinton endorsement gives them added momentum six days before the election.

"I mean if it wouldn’t be the biggest congressional upset in the country, I wouldn’t know what is," says Carlson.

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nod from Bill Clinton is arguably the biggest endorsement a political newcomer can receive and a better one than President Obama, who is unpopular in Indiana and trails Governor Romney by double-digit margins in the state.