Assemblyman Ruben J. Kihuen, the freshman legislator who on Saturday endorsed N.Y. Sen. Hillary Clinton for president and was named her national Co-Chair of Hispanic Outreach, is a rising star in the Democratic Party. He won his seat by walking his district and winning block to block.

He’s the first immigrant elected to the Nevada Legislature. He’s young, bright, has political experience from working with the state party and Sen. Harry Reid, and was smart enough to keep his head down during the legislative session and be more workhorse than show horse. For all these reasons, his endorsement became highly sought after by the major Democratic candidates, who held events in his district and called him numerous times to recruit him. Plus, the national media decided he was a big deal, which only magnified the “bag Kihuen” contest among the candidates. (He was the subject of a Page One and somewhat overblown feature in The Wall Street Journal. He’s a freshman legislator, after all, and it’s doubtful his endorsement will deliver that many voters.)

My sources with the campaigns said the whole courtship process became annoying, especially after the Journal profile ran. So, Clinton is the winner, and Kihuen joins nearly every significant Democrat in the state in endorsing her. They’ll be doing an event Saturday in his district.

Who’s left to offer an endorsement? There are some who are, at least nominally, committed to remaining neutral, including Rep. Shelley Berkley and Reid. Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley would seem to be the last remaining get. Of people she’s close to, Majority Leader John Oceguera has endorsed Clinton, while Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie has endorsed Barack Obama.