Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders released on Saturday a list of over 300 endorsements from California, The Hill reports.
The Vermont senator’s campaign released endorsements from more than 200 academics, 80 community leaders, and 40 elected officials. Dozens of activists from environmental, civil rights, and LGBTQ groups, as well as professors of political science, mayors, town supervisors, and city council members have officially endorsed Sanders.
In a statement expressing her support, Oakland City Council member Nikki Bas said that she trusts Sanders “to be a champion for justice for all of us.”
“Our nation needs a bold, principled leader who will end status quo politics and put the needs of everyday people before corporate profits,” Bas stated.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo praised the senator for “explicitly articulating every single thing that we have been fighting for our entire lives.”
“I stood with Bernie in 2016, and I am even more proud to stand with him today and endorse his candidacy as the next President of the United States,” Cedillo said.
The Sanders campaign’s display of power comes ahead of the senator’s Los Angeles rally with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is one of the senator’s most prominent surrogates.
A Super Tuesday state, California offers 495 delegates, which has made it a must-win state in the Democratic primary. Sanders is in a good position to win California, but as are two other candidates. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren are virtually tied with Sanders in the Golden State, according to most polls.
According to the RealClearPolitics average of polling data, the situation is similar in other states, with Sanders, Biden, and Warren looking like the strongest contenders in the race. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has surged in early state polls, but he does not seem to pose a serious threat to the three leading candidates.
Sanders recently received an endorsement from the official youth arm of the California Democratic Party. Comprised of 106 chartered chapters and 16 caucuses, California Young Democrats formally endorsed the Vermont senator, solidifying his support among young voters in the Golden State.
Earlier this week, Sanders landed an endorsement from People’s Action, a coalition of 40 progressive organizations representing more than one million members, with a strong grassroots presence in Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Super Tuesday states such as California.
The People’s Action’s endorsement came on the heels of the Center for Popular Democracy’s announcement that it is formally backing Sanders. Also a prominent progressive group, the Center for Popular Democracy represents 600,000 potential voters.
