Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders picked up his first endorsement from a Senate colleague Wednesday as Sen. Jeff Merkley, of Oregon, declared him the candidate who is “boldly and fiercely addressing the biggest challenges facing our country.”
The Oregon Democrat penned an op-ed in The New York Times on Wednesday explaining his support for the Vermont senator, writing that Sanders is the best candidate to redefine American values, priorities and a direction forward.
“It is time to recommit ourselves to that vision of a country that measures our nation’s success not at the boardroom table, but at kitchen tables across America,” Merkley wrote. “Bernie Sanders stands for that America, and so I stand with Bernie Sanders for president.”
Merkley is a popular figure in his home state, and his endorsement may give Sanders a boost in the Oregon primary, where 74 delegates are in play May 17.
The endorsement also adds another superdelegate to the democratic socialist’s relatively short list of backers. Hillary Clinton leads Sanders among this group, roughly 469 to 38. The superdelegates may change their minds at any time until the party convention in July.
In a bit of good news for Sanders’ campaign in New York state, where polling indicates he faces an uphill battle against Clinton before the state primary Tuesday, the Vermonter also received the endorsement of a New York City chapter of the Transport Workers Union on Wednesday. The local chapter has roughly 38,000 members.
“It is the trade unions today that are the last lines of defense against a vicious corporate agenda that is working hard to destroy the middle class,” Sanders said at a Brooklyn news conference Wednesday announcing the endorsement.
