Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders received an endorsement from the country’s oldest African-American newspaper Saturday ahead of Pennsylvania’s April 26 primary.
{mosads}”Sanders offers an inspiring message and bold vision for America without the excessive baggage of [Democratic front-runner Hillary] Clinton, which is why Sanders is our choice for president in the Democratic primary,” the editorial from the Philadelphia Tribune read.
The editorial cited Clinton’s support of the 1994 crime bill, her use of the term “super-predator” to describe black men involved in crime and her paid Wall Street speeches for reasons against endorsing the former secretary of State. And the editorial board said Sanders has always lobbied for the African-American community.
“Since his days as a student at the University of Chicago protesting against segregation in public schools in Chicago and throughout his political career, Sanders has supported policies and programs that would be in the best interest of all Americans and African Americans, specifically,” the editorial read.
Sanders has struggled to gain the black vote compared to Clinton.
In a Fox News poll conducted in Pennsylvania earlier this month, Clinton had the support of 69 percent of black voters surveyed, compared to Sanders’s 22 percent.
She leads Sanders overall in the state by 16 points, 53 percent to 37 percent, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls. Pennsylvania is one of five states voting on Tuesday.
The Tribune also endorsed John Kasich in the GOP primary, calling him “easily the best GOP choice.”