Joe Biden Endorses Underwood For District 14

NAPERVILLE, IL — It's been a busy week for Lauren Underwood. On Friday, she found out Ben and Jerry's would make an ice cream flavor inspired by her; a few days later she got an even sweeter surprise: an endorsement from former Vice President Joe Biden. Underwood, a Naperville nurse who is challenging Rep. Randy Hultgren (R, IL-14) for his seat in Illinois's 14th Congressional District, wrote on Twitter that she was "delighted and honored" to get an endorsement from Biden.

In a news release, Biden praised Underwood's work to promote health care and to combat violence against women. Biden wrote that he is "inspired by [Underwood's] commitment to public service and thankful for her work to make high-quality, affordable healthcare available to millions of families across the country."

He added, "We need representatives like Lauren, people of character and conviction, who will continue the work of changing the culture around sexual assault."

Underwood, who turns 32 in early October, is a Neuqua Valley High School alumnus and registered nurse who worked as senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Barack Obama.

In a statement, Underwood said she was "humbled" to get an endorsement from Biden. She then took aim at longtime incumbent Hultgren, saying, "For too long, my opponent has actively voted against us: from voting to strip us of our healthcare coverage, supporting a corporate tax break on the backs of northern Illinois families and voting against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act authored by our former Vice President."

Underwood's website notes that she has also been endorsed by President Obama, Planned Parenthood, and AFL-CIO Illinois.

The aspiring congresswoman also joins the ranks of Bernie Sanders as a prominent left-wing candidate for whom Ben & Jerry's will create a special ice cream flavor. The ice cream company is reaching out to the public to pick the flavor and name of the confection, which will be raffled off to benefit Underwood's campaign.

In a Tweet about the news, Underwood then took a stance on another, often polarizing issue. She wrote, "For the record: my favorite flavor is Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch."

Image via LaurenUnderwoodForCongress flickr photostream; image credit: R. Dione Foto (www.rdionefoto.com)