Bernie Sanders endorsed by Clark County teachers union
The Clark County Education Association, the union representing more than 19,000 local teachers, has endorsed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Nevada Democratic caucuses.
“Sen. Sanders has a stellar record of supporting educators,” union President Vikki Courtney said in a statement released by Sanders’ campaign. “His position on public education issues is second to none. He has always been a champion for educators and working class people.”
The association is the largest independent teaching union in the country. It represents educators in the Clark County School District, the nation’s fifth-largest school district.
“Together, we will finally give teachers a much-deserved raise, reinvest in public education and create an education system that benefits students no matter their background or socioeconomic status,” Sanders said.
In an interview with the Review-Journal, Courtney said the union’s executive board interviewed five or six candidates and conducted a straw poll of registered Democrats within its membership to reach the decision.
Courtney said the endorsement only applies to the state’s Feb. 22 caucus. A separate endorsement process for the general election will include all of its members, regardless of party registration.
The union has supported candidates of both parties in the past.
“Support for education is not a partisan issue,” Courtney said.
Two members of the association’s executive board, Kenny Belknap and Paul Kleeman, personally endorsed Sanders on Friday.
Lola Brooks, president of the Clark County School District Board of Trustees, also endorsed Sanders earlier this month. Brooks is an elected official to the district’s governing body and not affiliated with the education association.
Contact Rory Appleton at rappleton@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0276. Follow @RoryDoesPhonics on Twitter.