Senator Bernie Sanders endorses Regunberg in crowded RI Congressional race

PROVIDENCE – U.S. House hopeful Aaron Regunberg has scored an endorsement from Bernie Sanders, a progressive icon, former presidential candidate and independent U.S. Senator from Vermont.

In a statement released by the Regunberg campaign, Sanders – who beat Hillary Clinton in Rhode Island in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, 54.7% to 43.1% – said:

“I’m endorsing Aaron Regunberg for Congress because he understands the vital need to stand up against large corporations who have too much control over political and economic systems."

"He supports Medicare For All because he knows Big Pharma and the health insurance industry continue to put their own greed ahead of the lives of thousands of Americans," the statement continued. "At a time when we're living with record high temperatures and devastating flooding, Aaron [also] understands that we can't address catastrophic climate change without boldly taking on Big Oil."

Alluding to Regunberg's efforts when he was in the state legislature to raise the minimum wage and provide paid sick leave, Sanders said: "Aaron's candidacy is about making our government work for everyday people, rather than corporations and billionaires."

Regunberg has cast himself as the 'progressive choice'

Regunberg was a Sanders' backer in 2016, when the Vermont Senator beat Hillary Clinton in Rhode Island's Democratic primary. Clinton wound up with 20 Rhode Island delegates backing her at the convention – and Sanders only 13 – because of the overriding power of the elected and party officials known as "super-delegates" who don't have to abide by primary results.

Regunberg led an unsuccessful charge to do away with these "super-delegates."

Today, he is one of 12 candidates vying for the Democratic nomination to run for Rhode Island's open 1st Congressional District seat.

More: New front in RI progressive political feud opens as group attacks Regunberg. Here's what they're saying.

His effort to cast himself as "the progressive choice" faced pushback this past spring from a group of progressive former lawmakers and candidates who ran under the Rhode Island Political Cooperative banner. They faulted him for not backing them, raising questions about whether he could, in fact, consolidate the left behind him in a crowded race where a candidate could win with a relatively low share of the electorate.

His response at that time: "What's true is that I didn't endorse these candidates in their most recent campaigns, and it's not been a secret that I have at times disagreed with the approach of some members of the RI Political Cooperative."

Regunberg says Sanders endorsement is the race's 'biggest yet'

On Thursday, Regunberg hailed Sanders as "an American hero...[who has] changed the game, and made it possible for young elected officials like me to believe that big change was possible, and to envision that a brighter future could be within our reach."

He also called the Sanders endorsement "the biggest endorsement of Rhode Island’s First Congressional District race yet," a claim which other candidates – with endorsements from big-name, boots on the ground unions – are likely to dispute in the days ahead.

Sanders has given endorsements in Rhode Island before

This is not the first time Sanders has backed a political candidate here.

In 2022, he endorsed three progressive Democratic candidates in Rhode Island – David A. Segal for the 2nd Congressional District seat, Matt Brown for governor, and Cynthia Mendes for lieutenant governor.

His pitch for them: "At this critical moment in history, we need political leaders who have the courage to stand up boldly to established power and big money interests and fight for the needs of  working people."

None of Sanders' 2022 Rhode Island picks won.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Sen. Bernie Sanders endorses RI CD1 progressive candidate Regunberg