JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says he's backing fellow Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton's run for president.
Nixon told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he supports the former secretary of state over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and other opponents.
Nixon's support matters in part because as governor he's a superdelegate. He'll vote for his pick for the Democratic presidential nomination during the party's national convention.
Nixon's early backing also is significant because he had waited to endorse President Barack Obama until after Obama won the Democratic nomination over Clinton in 2008.
Nixon says Clinton is the best pick for the job because she's a proven leader. He touted her as talking about "substantive issues," such as college affordability.