Former President Barack Obama at the The White House Tribal Nations Conference (Photo by Vince Schilling)
Former President Barack Obama jumped back into politics by endorsing 81 candidates for the midterm election. His first endorsement wave list included Deb Haaland running in Albuquerque.
“Today I’m proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidates – leaders as diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted as the America they’re running to represent,” the former president said. “I’m confident that, together, they’ll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity that’s broadly shared, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law. But first they need our votes.”
Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, is the Democratic nominee for Congress in the New Mexico’s first congressional district. If elected, she will be the first Native American woman to ever serve in Congress.
Haaland tweeted: “Thank you so much President Obama! … Your endorsement means to world to me.”
The former president endorsed 81 candidates, including Democrats running at nearly every level of government, including Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), Richard Cordray (D-OH), and Stacey Abrams (D-Ga.), who are both running for governor in their respective states.
The list only includes one endorsement for a Democratic Senate nominee, Rep. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), who is running to replace a Republican Sen. Dean Heller. No incumbents were included on the list, which was mainly meant to boost challengers and newer candidates. According to Politico, Obama did not endorse candidates in 2016.
Haaland was the only #NativeVote18 candidate to receive an endorsement this round.
Mark Trahant is editor of Indian Country Today. He is a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. Follow him on Twitter – @TrahantReports
Email: mtrahant@IndianCountryToday.com
