Top two Democrats in NC legislature endorse Mike Bloomberg
Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is getting more North Carolina endorsements as the state gets ready to vote on Super Tuesday.
Bloomberg’s campaign on Monday announced endorsements by the top two Democrats in the state legislature — Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue and House Democratic Leader Darren Jackson.
Both Blue and Jackson represent parts of Wake County. They are the minority leaders; Republicans control both House and Senate.
Election Day is March 3.
“Both chambers have proposed legislation to address the critical issues facing the people of North Carolina — healthcare, public education, and transportation,” Blue and Jackson said in a joint statement released by the Bloomberg campaign.
“Mike Bloomberg has the leadership and experience to tackle these issues, because he understands these are the same issues facing every state in the country,” they said. “Having dealt with these issues as mayor of the largest city in the U.S., we know that Mike Bloomberg is the best candidate to unite us and get it done. We encourage North Carolina Democrats to support Mike by voting early or on March 3.”
In addition to Blue and Jackson, other new endorsements for Bloomberg include Rep. Kelly Alexander of Charlotte, Gastonia Mayor Walker Reid, Wake County Commissioner James West and Winston-Salem City Council member Jeff MacIntosh.
Bloomberg has already gotten endorsements from Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and Kinston Mayor Don Hardy as well as former Raleigh mayors Nancy McFarlane and Charles Meeker, The News & Observer previously reported.
The Bloomberg campaign has more than 120 staff in North Carolina and offices in Raleigh, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Asheville, Durham, Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem and Rocky Mount.
Warren, Sanders, Biden, Buttigieg endorsements
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has multiple endorsements from members of the state legislature, too — Rep. Marcia Morey of Durham, Rep. Deb Butler of Wilmington, Rep. Pricey Harrison of Greensboro and Rep. Susan Fisher of Asheville.
Sen. Bernie Sanders has several endorsements at the local-government level, including Durham Mayor Pro Tem Jillian Johnson, who is co-chair of his North Carolina campaign.
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 and Alma Adams of Charlotte — and state Sen. Paul Lowe, head of the Legislative Black Caucus.
Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttiegieg also has a state lawmaker’s endorsement, from Rep. Grier Martin of Wake County.
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Domecast politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it on Megaphone, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 3:42 PM.
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