Sen. Bernie Sanders endorses Tom Perriello in Virginia governors race

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has emerged as a leader of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing after his unsuccessful presidential campaign, endorsed former congressman Tom Perriello (D) in the Virginia governor’s race.

Perriello is competing for the Democratic nomination in the June 13 primary against Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, who is backed by nearly every Democrat in the state legislature, congressional delegation and statewide office.

“We need to elect progressives at every level of government if we are going to beat back the dangerous agenda of the Trump Administration and its Republican allies,” said Sanders in a statement on Tuesday. “Tom is committed to fighting the rigged economy and income inequality. He was the first major statewide candidate in Virginia to run on a $15 minimum wage and the first to say two years of community college should be tuition-free.”

Sanders, who caucuses with the Senate Democrats, is the first national Democratic Party figure to endorse Perriello.

Perriello has embraced an economic populist message in his gubernatorial campaign. Northam and his allies challenge his progressive credentials, noting conservative stances he took in Congress on social issues.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/sen-bernie-sanders-endorses-tom-perriello-in-virginia-governors-race/2017/04/04/e25784ba-1565-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html