Clinton Gives Molina Role in Campaign

Illustrating the importance of California and its 54 electoral votes to Democratic hopes in November, Bill Clinton on Tuesday named Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina as national co-chair of his presidential campaign.

Molina is the third Californian named to a key post in the Clinton campaign, joining national co-chair Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and national chairman Mickey Kantor, a Los Angeles attorney.

“Clearly, California is a key state for us,” Clinton spokeswoman Dee Dee Myers said. “It’s a state we can win. And it’s a state we need to win if we want to win in November.”

Myers said Clinton chose Molina for the job because of her growing prominence as a Latino leader and her skills as a campaigner. In the last decade, Molina ran a series of successful grass-roots campaigns to become the first Latina elected to the California State Legislature, the Los Angeles City Council and, last year, the county Board of Supervisors.

“She’s a rising star on the national scene,” Myers said.

Molina said it remains unclear precisely what her campaign duties will be. She said she hoped to play a role in Clinton’s evolving national strategy and in building support for the Democratic nominee among Latino voters and in California.

“For the first time in (years), we might be able to get California on the Democratic side in a national election,” she said.

Referring to herself, Waters and Kantor, she added, “Collectively, this group of Californians can make a difference.”

The Clinton campaign announced Molina’s appointment shortly before the candidate left San Francisco after two days of campaigning in California and traveled to Illinois. In a statement, Clinton said he expects Molina’s “experience and commitment to grass-roots organizing” will bring “added energy to this campaign.”