[S]en. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has formally endorsed Democratic candidate for governor Christine Hallquist, her campaign announced Monday.
Sanders’ seal of approval is widely sought by Democrats and progressives in Vermont and across the country, as the senator is known for handing out endorsements sparingly and boosting enthusiasm among progressive voters.
Although Sanders ultimately weighed in on Vermont’s last governor’s race, backing Democratic candidate Sue Minter, his endorsement of Hallquist comes sooner and more directly than it did in 2016.
In the last election, Sanders endorsed the full slate of Vermont Democrats running for statewide office — including Minter — simultaneously in late October.
In a statement Monday morning, Sanders championed Hallquist’s proposed policies, including her plans to institute a Medicare-for-all health system and tuition free public college for low- and middle-income Vermonters.
“I am proud to endorse Christine Hallquist for governor of Vermont. Christine has a vision of an America that works for all of us,” he said.
Hallquist’s campaign manager Cameron Russell said Sanders will likely be stumping for the candidate in Vermont in the coming weeks.
“I think that we’ll be working together between now and Election Day,” Russell said Monday. “I think that we can probably anticipate coordinating some appearances together.”
With his endorsement, Sanders has become the latest in a line of national Democrats and progressive politicians who are backing the gubernatorial hopeful.
In the last month, Hallquist has gained the endorsements of former vice president Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Joe Kennedy, D-Mass.
Endorsements from Sanders have been prized by progressive Democrats across the nation, and in recent months, the senator has waded into several statewide races. In Florida’s gubernatorial primary, he supported the progressive victor, Andrew Gillum, and in Michigan’s governor’s race, his choice, Abdul El-Sayed, lost.
But Sanders’ endorsement comes as the state’s Progressive Party has been reluctant to fully embrace Hallquist.
The party declined to endorse her at a meeting in August, a decision that Sen. Anthony Pollina, P/D-Washington, the chair of the state party, attributed largely to Hallquist’s positions on taxes and health care.
The party, however, has not ruled out an eventual endorsement for Hallquist.
