Democratic presidential candidate, Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, has won the endorsement of People’s Action, reports Politico .
People’s Action is a coalition of 40 progressive groups said to represent more than one million members — and potential voters — in key early states and across the country.
The endorsement is another signal that Sanders is the leading progressive candidate in the Democratic primary race, having once again bested the second leftmost candidate, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.
According to People’s Action — which has a strong presence in the Super Tuesday states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada — Sanders received around 74 percent of the ballots cast by delegates representing the group’s affiliates across the country.
George Goehl, national director of People’s Action, explained that earlier in the race it seemed the vote “might be closer,” but Sanders’ policy proposals — including affordable housing and rent control — propelled the Vermont senator to the top.
“We were really struck by the fact that for the last few decades, this guy has been able to see through the haze of a neoliberal worldview that has affected so many parts of American life,” Goehl explained, suggesting that Sanders is the strongest candidate to take on President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
“We also think he’s uniquely positioned to win. He’s already stitched together a multiracial, urban, rural, multi-generational campaign.”
Sanders’ campaign team has been courting the group’s vote for months, according to Politico , and some of his most prominent surrogates — including Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — played an important role in the process.
The People’s Action’s formal backing of Sanders comes on the heels of his endorsement from the Center for Popular Democracy. Another prominent progressive group, the Center for Popular Democracy represents 600,000 members and recently threw its full weight behind Sanders.
As Analilia Mejia, Sanders’ national political director, explained, the latest two endorsements send a strong signal to voters.
“Combined, it’s over 1.5 million members,” she said.
“It gives you a sense of the popularity of our candidate, especially with those who are doing the work,” Mejia added.
I am so proud and excited to have the endorsement of @PplsAction because they understand what I understand: at the end of the day, the only way we make real change in this country is through grassroots activism. pic.twitter.com/g4tzErYIav
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 19, 2019
Sanders has also received the backing of more progressive elements of the Democratic Party.
In November, the senator landed an endorsement from the official youth arm of the California Democratic Party . The organization, California Young Democrats, is comprised of 16 caucuses and 106 chartered chapters.
The endorsements seem to have helped Sanders solidify and increase support, given that he is now one of the two leading Democratic presidential candidates, trailing only former Vice President Joe Biden, with Warren plunging in most polls.
