Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has scored his first endorsement from a Senate colleague in Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon.
In an op-ed published in the New York Times, Senator Merkley writes he has “decided to become the first member of the Senate to support my colleague Bernie Sanders for president.”
Senator Merkley cites income and wealth inequality as one of the reasons for his support of Sanders’ candidacy.
“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.”
“Bernie Sanders stands for that America, and so I stand with Bernie Sanders for president,” Merkley concludes.
While Merkley’s endorsement is Sanders’ first from a serving United States Senator, he has earned the endorsement of former Senators Paul G. Kirk of Massachusetts and Don Riegle of Michigan.
Jeff Merkley has represented Oregon in the United States Senate since 2009. He was previously Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives.
