Speaker Symington will support Hillary Clinton

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(Host) Vermont House Speaker Gaye Symington says she supports Senator Hillary Clinton for president.

As VPR’s Ross Sneyd reports, Symington’s endorsement bucks the trend among many of her fellow Vermont Democrats.

(Sneyd) Symington says she took her time choosing a candidate because she knew – as Vermont’s leading female elected leader – her choice would be closely scrutinized.

She knows that Illinois Senator Barack Obama is popular among Democratic activists in Vermont. He’s collected more than $300,000 from Vermonters – which is more than the rest of the presidential field, combined.

But Symington says she read Clinton’s book and studied the senator’s positions.

Then she attended the Democratic debate at Dartmouth College earlier this month and that closed the deal for her.

(Symington) “For me it’s a combination of her experience, her conviction and her intelligence and her priorities. She’s clearly got the priorities that matter to me.”

(Sneyd) Symington says she especially likes Clinton’s positions on health care, climate change and getting the U.S. out of Iraq.

A Democratic nominee may well be chosen by the time of Vermont’s primary in March. But New Hampshire’s primary is important.

Symington says she’ll speak out on behalf of Clinton and will help with the senator’s New Hampshire campaign if she can.

For VPR News, I’m Ross Sneyd.

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