Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) secured another significant endorsement on Tuesday, earning the support of the Clark County Educational Association — the largest teachers union in the state representing the fifth-largest school district in the country.
Sanders, who has long positioned himself as the go-to candidate for the labor movement, secured the endorsement of the Clark County Educational Association, which represents roughly 19,000 educators in the Clark County School District, BuzzFeed News confirmed on Tuesday.
“We appreciated that Senator Sanders came to us, very much reached out to us and wanted to speak to us,” Clark County Educational Association President Vikki Courtney told the outlet.
The socialist senator reportedly led in the union’s straw poll, which played a role in the final outcome.
“We’re proud to have teachers as our top donors by occupation because they hold the key to a more prosperous future for younger generations,” Sanders said of the endorsement.
“Together, we will finally give teachers a much-deserved raise, reinvest in public education and create an education system that benefits students no matter their background or socioeconomic status,” he added:
Sanders has been courting teachers unions on the campaign trail in recent months, as detailed by Breitbart News:
In May of this year, he led the way among 2020 presidential contenders praising the public school teacher walkouts in North and South Carolina.
In September, he traveled to Chicago to show his support for the Chicago Teachers Union on the day the members voted to authorize a strike.
In November, the United Teachers Los Angeles, “the second-largest teachers’ local in the country,” announced their endorsement of Sanders.
Last week, Sanders vocally supported striking teachers in Scarborough, Maine.
As Breitbart News reported, the #RedforEd teachers movement appears to be moving toward Sanders as the candidate of choice for the Democrat nomination, and the majority of the leaders of the movement are “predominantly Bernie Sanders supporters.”