The Lowell Sun: Former VP nominee Sen. Tim Kaine endorses Rufus Gifford in 3rd District race
Former VP nominee Sen. Tim Kaine endorses Rufus Gifford in 3rd District race
By Chris Lisinski
The Lowell Sun
July 9, 2018
LOWELL — Tim Kaine, a U.S. senator from Virginia who was the Democratic Party’s vice-presidential nominee in 2016, will endorse Rufus Gifford in Massachusetts’ crowded 3rd Congressional District race, Gifford’s campaign will announce Tuesday.
The two worked together at the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011, when Kaine was the chair and Gifford was the finance director. Kaine was elected as a senator in 2012, while Gifford led fundraising for then-President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign.
In a press release the Gifford campaign will release Tuesday, Kaine described Gifford as his “longtime friend.”
“His stellar work for President Obama and for our nation as our ambassador to Denmark shows that he will be an effective progressive voice in a body that badly needs improvement,” Kaine said in the press release. “Rufus worked with me at the Democratic National Committee and his energy, values, and commitment are second to none.”
Kaine, who also previously served as Virginia’s governor, was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in the 2016 presidential election. The pair lost the election to Donald Trump and Mike Pence.
Following their time together at the DNC, Kaine introduced Gifford for his 2013 confirmation hearing as the country’s ambassador to Denmark. In remarks during that hearing, Kaine complimented Gifford’s focus on relationship-building and creativity, calling him a “consummate professional.”
Gifford said in an interview that he sought out Kaine’s endorsement recently and that the senator gave it “enthusiastically.
“I have enormous respect for him, and I am really, really grateful to have his support,” Gifford said. “I have a ton of political mentors, people like Barack Obama and John Kerry, and he’s one of them, too.”
During their time at the DNC, Gifford said, he and Kaine worked together on key components of the Obama administration’s agenda, such as passage of the Affordable Care Act — something Gifford has cited numerous times on the campaign trail.
Gifford said although his official title at the DNC was finance director, he and others at the committee contributed to those policy efforts by lobbying members of Congress, business leaders and experts to gain their support for legislation.
“This was absolutely a building-wide effort,” Gifford said of the ACA push.
Kaine’s endorsement is the first in the 3rd District race by a sitting U.S. Senator. Several members of the U.S. House of Representatives backed Juana Matias, one of Gifford’s opponents in the Democratic primary, earlier this year.
http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_31996890/former-vp-nominee-sen-tim-kaine-endorses-rufus#ixzz5Koi0MEW2