Clinton, Sanders Gain Endorsements Ahead of Preference Poll

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (left) and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Campaign photos.

Demorcratic rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have received key endorsements prior to Saturday’s Presidential Preference Poll, hosted by the Democratic Party of Hawai’i.

Sanders, currently a U.S. Senator representing Vermont, received an endorsement from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which covers 50,000 workers in Alaska, Washington, and Hawai’i. All three states will go to the polls on Saturday.

“It is an honor to receive an endorsement from the ILWU,” said Sanders. “This campaign is building a movement of millions of Americans who are demanding that our economy works for everyone, not just the top 1 percent. The working men and women of the ILWU are a vital part of our movement which is spreading to every corner of our country.”

Earlier this week, Sanders’ wife Jane visited the state and met with community leaders. Sanders also released his his platform on Native Hawaiian issues, including achieving energy independence, affordable housing and community development, ending mass incarceration, and expanding health insurance coverage.

Former Secretary of State Clinton earned endorsements from former Hawai’i leaders this week, getting nods from former Governor John Waihe’e, retired U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka, and former U.S. Congresswoman Esther Kia’aina.

In a statement issued earlier this month, Clinton gave her support on Native Hawaiian self-determination, saying that “I commend President Obama’s leadership in working with Native Hawaiians on the opportunity to establish a government-to-government relationship with the United States. As president, I will work to break down all of the barriers that hold people back and create ladders of opportunity to help everyone achieve their full potential.”

Clinton and Sanders, along with California businessman Roque De La Fuente, will be on the Presidential Preference Poll ballot on Saturday.