Ex-NAACP head backs Sanders

by Ben Kamisar - 02/04/16 10:43 AM ET

A former president of the NAACP will endorse Bernie Sanders for president, giving the Vermont senator an influential African-American voice of support ahead of the South Carolina primary.

CNN is reporting that Ben Jealous, who chaired the civil rights organization from 2008 to 2013, will endorse Sanders and campaign with him in New Hampshire.

Jealous could prove to be a valuable surrogate for Sanders as he looks to broaden his appeal with minority voters.

{mosads}Sanders posted a strong showing in Iowa, losing by just 0.2 percentage points in the state’s caucuses. He holds a strong lead in New Hampshire, where he is the favorite for the Feb. 9 primary.

But Sanders faces a tough challenge in contests after that primary. He polls significantly worse than Clinton with minority voters, who become a larger part of the electorate after the first two contests.

Sanders is behind Clinton in South Carolina by an average of 30 points in the RealClearPolitics average of recent polling and behind in Nevada by 20 points in averages for that state. Nevada’s Democratic caucuses are on Feb. 20, and the South Carolina primary is Feb. 27.

South Carolina has a significant black voting population, and Nevada’s Democratic electorate includes a substantial Hispanic population.

Sanders has worked to make inroads in those two states, announcing his first statewide TV ad in South Carolina in January and receiving endorsements from notable minority community leaders.

Two black politicians, former Ohio state legislator Nina Turner and current South Carolina state Rep. Justin Bamberg, flipped from Clinton to endorse Sanders.

Tags Ben Jealous Bernie Sanders Hillary Clinton NAACP Nevada New Hampshire South Carolina