Democracy for America Endorses Sanders in 'Wake-Up Call to Broken, Visionless, Corporate Democratic Establishment'

Progressive advocacy group Democracy for America endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president on Monday after the Vermont senator received nearly 80% support in a membership vote.

"Bernie Sanders is the candidate who is energizing our base, connecting with those who have long felt ignored by our politics, and electrifying the next generation of Americans."
--Charles Chamberlain, Democracy for America

DFA said in a statement that more than 38,000 of its members participated in the vote, which took place over a period of 11 days beginning Feb. 20.

Sanders won the support of 79.3% of participants, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) at 13.2%, former Vice President Joe Biden at 2.5%, Pete Buttigieg at 1.7%, and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg at 1.2%.

Charles Chamberlain, chair of DFA, said the "overwhelming support" for Sanders among the organization's members "should be a wake-up call to the broken, visionless, corporate Democratic establishment."

"Americans want fundamental change in Washington, not a return to the status quo," said Chamberlain. "In the most important election of our lifetimes, Bernie Sanders is the candidate who is energizing our base, connecting with those who have long felt ignored by our politics, and electrifying the next generation of Americans we need to beat Donald Trump, win up and down the ballot nationwide, and fight for bold, inclusive populist reforms like Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and robust criminal justice reform."

DFA, a political action committee founded in 2004 by former Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean, also endorsed Sanders over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary.

In a statement, Sanders thanked DFA for its endorsement and said that he is proud to have the backing of the group's "grassroots members who know that real change never comes from the top on down but from the bottom on up."

"They've led the fight to guarantee healthcare as a human right, protect and expand Social Security, and end our nation's endless wars," said Sanders. "Together, we will build a movement that sweeps Donald Trump out of the White House and transforms this country so that it works for the working class."

The Nation magazine also threw its support behind Sanders on Monday, celebrating the senator's platform as "both realistic and radical enough to meet the challenges of our time."

"In this election the fundamental question is also the oldest one: Which side are you on? The Nation is on the side of hope, not fear," reads the magazine's endorsement of Sanders. "We're on the side of radical change, not retrenchment and retreat. We are proud, and excited, to stand with the movements that have brought us to this moment, and made this amazing, terrifying, exhilarating, and empowering campaign possible."