Regina Montoya Picks Up Clinton Endorsement in Dallas Mayoral Race

It's not really a surprise, but it's still news: Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has endorsed Regina Montoya in Dallas' mayoral race. Clinton's endorsement is the cherry on top of an impressive couple of weeks for Montoya, who's also picked up nods from Emily's List and the Dallas County Tejano Democrats this month.

"I am proud to endorse Regina Montoya to be the next Mayor of Dallas. Let me tell you why. Regina and I have been friends and colleagues for decades. In that time, I have watched her grow as a civic leader," the former secretary of state said of Montoya, who served on Bill Clinton's White House staff in the 1990s. "She is committed to her community of Dallas, her state and our country. Regina has dedicated her life to making sure everyone has access to opportunity. She is exactly the kind of leader and role model we need to have in public service today."

Since serving as an aide to President Clinton, Montoya has served as the co-chair of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings' task force on poverty, senior vice president and general counsel for Children's Medical Center and as the CEO for the New America Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes economic development in low-income communities.  "As Mayor, Regina will invest in Dallas’ greatest resource: its people. She will work to strengthen public education, take steps to make it more affordable to own a home and fight the systemic causes of poverty that still grip too many neighborhoods," Clinton said. "I know few people more committed to their communities and to public service than Regina Montoya. I trust that she will make us all proud as the next Mayor of Dallas."

Montoya sits dead last in D Magazine's highly unscientific mayoral poll and needs, like the other eight candidates in the race, to build momentum before April 4, the next fundraising deadline for the May 4 election.