Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign is getting a boost from two of the leading young progressives in Congress.
As Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate ended, the Sanders campaign announced Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., would publicly back the Vermont senator’s bid for the White House. Minutes earlier the Washington Post reported that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., plans to endorse Sanders during a rally in Queens, New York Saturday.
The decision by Ocasio-Cortez and Omar — two of the four young progressive congresswomen known as “the Squad” — to endorse Sanders could be a significant boost for the Vermont senator as he tries to get his campaign back on track two weeks after he suffered a heart attack.
Sanders, who spent last week convalescing at his home in Burlington, has been ranking in third in the polls while Sen. Elizabeth Warren, another candidate known for her progressive stance, has recently surged.
Omar praised Sanders for his commitment to his political priorities in a statement released at the end of the debate — Sanders’ first major public appearance since his heart attack.
“Bernie is leading a working class movement to defeat Donald Trump that transcends generation, ethnicity and geography,” said Omar in a statement. “I have seen the values that motivate him and his commitment to building a movement that represents marginalized communities across this country.”
“And it’s why I believe Bernie Sanders is the best candidate to take on Donald Trump in 2020,” she said.
In late September, Ocasio-Cortez met with Sanders over breakfast in Burlington, but neither the campaign nor Sanders had disclosed what was discussed.
Sanders has worked with Ocasio-Cortez and Omar on a number of policy proposals including a plan to wipe away student debt and legislation, announced Tuesday, that would provide school meals year-round to every student.
Both Ocasio-Cortez and Omar were elected to Congress as part of a surge of support for Democrats during the 2018 midterm elections. Sanders campaigned for both members of Congress and has come to their defense when President Donald Trump told all four female members of Congress to “go back” to their home countries.
Sanders also aligned himself with Omar when Democrats criticized her for comments she made about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, that some perceived as anti-semetic.
The other two members of the “Squad,” Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., have not endorsed Sanders.
Faiz Shakir, Sanders’ campaign manager, told the Wall Street Journal he believes these endorsements demonstrate the Vermont senator’s base is growing and evolving.
“These are two individuals who understand that we have to build a multiracial working-class coalition and understand Bernie Sanders has had along record of consistency fighting for these issues, and he’s the one they trust.”
In early October, Sanders appeared poised to regain momentum when he reported a fundraising haul of $25.3 million in three months, surpassing any other Democratic candidate in 2019. But after a heart attack and a break from the campaign trail to recover set him back.
Meanwhile, his fellow progressive candidate Warren, D-Mass., has passed him in many national and statewide polls, becoming a top contender along with former Vice President Joe Biden.
During Tuesday’s debate, Sanders remained calm but responded forcefully to attacks by moderate Democrats on his Medicare for all proposal while also dismissing concerns his health made him unfit for office.
In a recent interview, Matthew Dickinson, a professor of political science at Middlebury College, said Sanders’ recent health issues may actually shift focus away from more serious concerns about the Vermont senator’s campaign and his chances of winning the nomination.
“We are looking for signs he is broadening his message and he hasn’t shown any ability to do that,” he said. “Understandably we are going to focus on health, but arguably there are bigger issues for Bernie Sanders.”
