Speaker of the House Terie Norelli endorsed Hillary Clinton yesterday, pledging to crisscross the state to tell voters about her candidate.

Norelli, a Portsmouth Democrat, will serve as co-chairwoman of the New York senator's campaign, along with veteran activist Bill Shaheen. She is the latest in a list of legislative endorsements for Clinton, including Senate President Sylvia Larsen, a Concord Democrat, and 50 other lawmakers.

Asked about the importance of endorsements, Norelli emphasized her intent to work for the campaign.

She said that, with the legislative session over, she will work at the "same pace, but it will just be for a different cause."

First up, Norelli has scheduled 10 events for the campaign in the next two weeks, including coffee klatches in North Conway, Laconia and Keene.

"I'll do everything I can to help get Sen. Clinton elected," Norelli said after an announcement at the Common Man in Concord yesterday.

The endorsement race has heated up unusually early this time around, observers say.

Last week, U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes became the first member of the state's congressional delegation to endorse a candidate when he picked Sen. Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat. Meanwhile, Obama's campaign planned to announce another endorsement today.

Norelli said she had met nearly all the presidential candidates, but she said Clinton impressed her the first time they met a couple of months back, as well as "the second time and the third and every time since."

The first female Democratic speaker of the house, Norelli cited Clinton's experience. Another deciding factor was her ability to make changes "on day one," she said.

She said she didn't think her decision to endorse Clinton would be divisive for Democrats in the House.

"The day after the primary, I hope all of us will be standing behind her," she said.

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By LAUREN R. DORGAN

Monitor staff