After withdrawing from the race, Vilsack endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton for the presidency on March 25, 2007. He hoped to build momentum for her in Iowa. The former Governor identified Clinton as the candidate with "the best ideas, the most energy, and the values and vision to lead our country." Shortly after the endorsement, Clinton named Vilsack's wife Christie as the co-chairman of her campaign in Iowa. The Clinton campaign announced they would help Vilsack pay off his campaign's $400,000 debt. Vilsack campaigned for Clinton nationwide as national campaign co-chairman, and focused on helping her win the Iowa caucuses. Despite his efforts, Clinton finished third in the caucuses behind Barack Obama and John Edwards Following Clinton's withdrawal, Vilsack endorsed Obama for the presidency on July 15, 2008. He labeled Obama as the "only candidate" for voters "against partisanship" to change "the tone in Washington"