U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for president in the 2016 election during a trip to Iowa on Saturday, The Washington Post reported.
"I am urging Hillary Clinton to run for president, and when she does, she will have my full and unwavering support," Schumer said to a crowd at a Democratic party fundraiser in Des Moines.
"Run, Hillary, Run," he added. "If you run, you'll win, and we'll all win."
Schumer suggested Clinton, his former counterpart in the Senate, is the only candidate powerful enough to "vanquish" the tea party.
"With a strong platform and with Hillary leading the charge, we will vanquish the Ted Cruz, Tea Party Republicans in 2016 and create a generation of Democrats who will make sure the middle class gets what it needs, our country advances and the torch held by that beautiful lady in New York's harbor burns more brightly than ever."
Though the election is three years away, Schumer notified reporters of his prepared commentary and even mentioned on Twitter that he would be discussing the 2016 presidential race.
"Run @HillaryClinton run. If you run, you'll win & then we'll all win. #JJ2013 #Hillary2016," he tweeted.
Nick Merrill, a Clinton spokesman, said the former secretary of state was flattered by his comments but has still not made a decision.
"Senator Schumer is an old colleague and an even older friend, and what he said about her is very flattering," Merrill said. "Ultimately though this is a very personal decision that she hasn't made."
Clinton has yet to announce whether she will run for president in the next election. However, that has not stopped Democratcs like Schumer or political committees from endorsing her or expressing their support for a possible run.
In October, George Soros donated $25,000 to the "Ready for Hillary" superPAC in order to become co-chair of the group's finance committee. Just a week later, female Democrats in the Senate sent Clinton a letter -- which was supposed to be a secret -- urging her to run for presidential office.
