Why Bernie Sanders is endorsing Nida Allam in an NC congressional race
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a progressive Democrat who ran for president, has endorsed Nida Allam in a North Carolina congressional race.
Allam, a Durham County commissioner and the first Muslim woman elected in North Carolina, previously worked for Sanders’ presidential campaign. She is running in the 4th district, which includes Durham, Orange, Alamance, Person and Granville counties.
In a tweet announcing his endorsement, Sanders said Allam “understands the need for an agenda that benefits the working class. That means Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and a living wage. We need her in the Congress.”
Allam is competing in a crowded field of eight Democrats who want to succeed retiring Rep. David Price, who has represented the western Triangle for three decades. It is considered a safe blue district, so whoever wins the primary is the likely new member of Congress. Other frontrunners include state Sen. Valerie Foushee and entertainer Clay Aiken.
Allam served as Sanders’ political director in North Carolina and New Jersey during his 2016 presidential campaign. She has received endorsements from other nationally know progressive Democrats too, including Massachusetts senator and former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, as well as Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
Early voting started Thursday. The primary is May 17.
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Under the Dome politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it at https://campsite.bio/underthedome or wherever you get your podcasts.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 3:21 PM.
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