Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is weighing in on a Passaic County commissioner race, endorsing Ali Aljarrah in next month’s primary.
Sanders, an icon for modern progressives, included Aljarrah on a list of dozens of local endorsements throughout the country. Aljarrah, a senior adviser at CAIR Action NJ, is challenging party-backed candidates for the Democratic nomination.
“In this pivotal and dangerous moment in our country’s history, we need leaders at every level of government who are prepared to take on the billionaire class and fight for working families,” Sanders said in a release. “We need bold solutions to the crises we face, not tinkering around the edges.”
County Commissioner Orlando Cruz (D-Paterson) is seeking re-election. County Commissioner Bruce James is retiring, and the Passaic County Democratic Party endorsed Nick Veliky, the president of the Clifton Democratic Club, to succeed him. Aljarrah opted not to seek party support after he was asked to sign a pledge to drop out if he didn’t receive the endorsement. Democrats hold a 7-0 grip on the Passaic Board of Commissioners.
Aljarrah has also received endorsements from progressives like former Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Assemblymembers Katie Brennan (D-Jersey City) and Ravi Bhalla (D-Hoboken).
“Bernie Sanders is a big reason why young people across the country are getting involved in politics without apologizing for what we believe in. It’s a profound honor to be endorsed by the Senator and have him in our corner,” Aljarrah said. “Amo Bernie is a former Mayor, so he knows that local government is the front line of defense against the billionaires and big corporations who corrupt our politics.”
