Sen. Barack Obama enthusiastically endorsed Darcy Burner in her bid for Congress in Washington State’s 8th Congressional District, the Burner campaign announced Thursday.

Burner is in a tight-fisted race with incumbent Dave Reichert, R-Auburn.

The Democratic Party’s nominee for president cited Burner’s commitment to helping him bring change to Washington, D.C., as well as her determination to strengthen the American middle class in making the endorsement.

“The American people want leaders in Congress who are committed to working for change. Darcy Burner will be that sort of leader,” Obama said. “She is tough and determined, and she will stand up for the middle class and work to get our economy moving forward again, and I am proud to support her.”

Burner welcomed the endorsement and expressed her own strong support for the candidacy of Senator Obama.

“With our economy hanging on the brink, we need a president with sound judgment and a basic understanding of what it will take to rebuild the middle class and get our country back on the right track,” Burner said. “After years of the failed policies of Bush-McCain Republicanism supported by my opponent, we desperately need a change of direction in Washington, D.C.

“Barack Obama understands what has gone wrong with our economy under the Bush-McCain approach and what we need to do to fix this mess. Now more than ever, we need Sen. Barack Obama as our next president.”