Dem touts backing of Sanders-aligned group in deep-red Kansas district

A Democratic candidate running in Kansas’s special House election is touting the support of a group aligned with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

James Thompson, who is running to fill the House seat vacated by now-CIA Director Mike Pompeo, wrote on Twitter on Friday that he was “proud to have the endorsement” of Our Revolution, a progressive political group that emerged out of Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign.

So proud to have endorsement of @OurRevolution. @BernieSanders proved PEOPLE power can beat big money. Help us win: https://t.co/gyGma3OeQu

— James Thompson (@JamesThompsonKS) April 7, 2017

{mosads}Thompson is running against Kansas State Treasurer Ron Estes, a Republican, in a district that President Trump won in November by nearly 30 points.

Still, the race has grown unexpectedly tight in recent weeks amid a surge of Democratic energy in the district.

A number of high-profile Republicans are stepping in to help Estes’s bid, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is expected to make an appearance in the district on Monday.

Vice President Pence recorded a robocall urging Republicans to vote for Estes in the election on Tuesday, and Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) reportedly sent out a “personal” fundraising plea to Republican donors on behalf of Estes.

Thompson’s tweet was first highlighted by The Huffington Post.