Leading a new poll, Bernie Sanders rolls out NC endorsements
Updated Feb. 21 with latest endorsements.
With just days until North Carolina’s primary election, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has new endorsements from local politicians across the state. He’s also leading the state primary in a new poll from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
In the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion poll released Thursday, the Vermont senator received the support of 23% of likely North Carolina Democratic primary voters, followed by former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg with 19%. The poll has a 6.5% margin of error.
Others trailed, with 16% for former Vice President Joe Biden, 13% for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 10% for former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and 7% for Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Buttigieg’s campaign announced new North Carolina endorsements on Friday.
A day earlier, elected officials and community leaders from Durham, Charlotte, Asheville, Boone and Orange County endorsed Sanders.
The co-chair of his North Carolina campaign is Durham Mayor Pro Tem Jillian Johnson, a longtime Sanders supporter. She named her dog Sandy, after Sanders. Johnson is an activist turned elected official serving her second term on the Durham City Council.
Johnson said in a statement that she supports Sanders for his calls for more federal funding for housing, education, jobs and health care as well as his plans to end deportations, provide free public college and forgive college student-loan debt.
“Bernie Sanders will fight for a future where everyone can thrive,” Johnson said. Her co-chair is Hillsborough activist LaTarndra Strong, founder of the Hate-Free Schools Coalition.
Sanders also led a High Point University poll of self-identified, registered Democrats with 25%, followed by Biden with 19%. A WRAL poll found Sanders, Bloomberg and Biden effectively tied for first.
Other North Carolina endorsements by elected officials for Sanders, announced Thursday, include:
▪ Charlotte City Council member Braxton David Winston II
▪ Durham City Council member Javiera Caballero
▪ Boone Town Council members Samuel Furgiuele and Nancy LaPlaca
▪ Asheville City Council member Brian Haynes
▪ Carrboro Town Council members Damon Seils and Sammy Slade
▪ Orange County Commissioners Mark Marcoplos and Renée A. Price
Two Durham 2020 primary candidates — Pierce Freelon, who is running for state Senate, and Nida Allam, who is running for Durham County Board of Commissioners, also endorsed Sanders.
The Sanders campaign has offices in Durham, Charlotte, Greenville and Winston-Salem.
Warren endorsements
Warren announced a slate of endorsements in late 2019 at the statewide level: state lawmakers Rep. Marcia Morey of Durham, Rep. Deb Butler of Wilmington, Rep. Pricey Harrison of Greensboro and Rep. Susan Fisher of Asheville.
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, who campaigned for Warren during the candidate’s Raleigh visit, was back in North Carolina on Friday.
Murdock is a Durham County soil and water conservation district supervisor and running for the state Senate District 20 seat. Freelon, who endorsed Sanders, is one of her primary opponents.
Durham City Council members Mark-Anthony Middleton and Vernetta Alston, who is running for the state House, have endorsed Warren.
Bloomberg endorsements
Billionaire Mike Bloomberg, whose television, digital and radio ads have blanketed North Carolina lately, has received endorsements from Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and Kinston Mayor Don Hardy, The N&O previously reported.
Biden endorsements
Former Vice President Joe Biden was endorsed by both of North Carolina’s members of the Congressional Black Caucus — Reps. G.K. Butterfield of Wilson, who introduced Biden during his Durham visit this past fall, and Alma Adams of Charlotte — and state Sen. Paul Lowe, head of the Legislative Black Caucus.
Buttigieg endorsements
State Rep. Grier Martin of Wake County, Raleigh City Council member Jonathan Melton, Davidson Town Commissioner Jane Campbell and former Wake County Commissioner John Burns have all endorsed Buttigieg.
“As a young mayor, he successfully worked to revitalize his city by creating new jobs and improving infrastructure,” Melton said in a statement.
“I know that Pete is ready to lead us into the next decade and a new era. As the first openly LGBTQ person elected citywide in Raleigh, I am extremely proud to endorse Pete Buttigieg for president and to support his historic campaign,” Melton said.
Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle previously endorsed Buttigieg.
Klobuchar, Buttigieg visits
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota will make her first campaign visit to North Carolina on Feb. 27 for a Fox News Channel town hall in Raleigh. Buttigieg will be in Charlotte the same day for a town hall.
And Klobuchar has an endorsement from former North Carolina congressional candidate Clay Aiken.
The North Carolina primary is March 3.
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