Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders earned an endorsement this week from the self-proclaimed largest Muslim political action committee in the United States.
Emgage PAC announced their support of the Vermont senator on Thursday, saying the decision was based on his “inclusive” presidential campaign.
“More than any other presidential candidate, Senator Sanders has built a historically inclusive and forward-thinking movement: one that represents America as a set of ideas grounded in the belief that all humans are equal and worthy of a dignified life,” Emgage PAC CEO Wa’el Alzayat said in a statement.
“Our endorsement is intended to galvanize Muslim Americans at the polls to ensure that our voices are heard. Furthermore, we hope that this endorsement marks a new era of presidential candidates including Muslim American voices in the political process and policy-making decisions,” he added.
An effort has been made by the Sanders campaign to make inroads with the Muslim community, members of which have felt largely ignored by the 2020 field.
Since announcing his candidacy for president, Sanders has appointed a Muslim campaign manager, named a prominent Muslim activist as a campaign surrogate, and visited a mosque to honor the victims of a New Zealand terrorist attack.
“Sanders has taken an active role in elevating Muslim communities and Muslim spokespersons in the national presidential debate,” Robert McCaw, director of the government affairs department at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in October. “He’s not shy in going into Muslim spaces publicly and endorsing our issues and making them a part of the campaign.”
The next election contest will be held Saturday in Nevada, where Sanders holds a double-digit lead, according to a recent poll.
