Clinton Gets Nod From Former Attorney General Eric Holder

As she works to maintain an advantage among African-American voters in her quest for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton has secured an endorsement from the nation’s first black attorney general

Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during a Democratic presidential primary debate, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

CHARLESTON, S.C.—As she works to maintain an advantage among African-American voters in her quest for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton has secured an endorsement from the nation’s first black attorney general.

The Clinton campaign announced Eric Holder’s support in a statement to the Associated Press.

Holder, who served as President Barack Obama’s top law enforcement appointee for more than five years, said Clinton “is the candidate that we need in the White House” to continue “the progress of President Obama.”

The former attorney general will campaign for Clinton in an upcoming swing to South Carolina, accompanying her to a state Democratic Party dinner Saturday and a Sunday debate sponsored by NBC News and the Congressional Black Caucus.

Attorney General Eric Holder speaks about the 2013 initiative called "Smart on Crime," which directed prosecutors to limit their use of mandatory minimum punishments, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta