Six Arizonans are on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vermont) endorsement list released Friday.
In a post on X on Friday morning, Sanders unveiled the 61 progressives who earned his backing at both state and local levels across the country, including six candidates in Arizona.
“In the last 15 months, we have recruited over 8,500 Americans to run for office at every level of government,” Sanders said. “Today, I am proud to endorse 61 progressives running for state and local office across America. They will fight for the kind of changes our country desperately needs.”
The list includes state Sen. Analise Ortiz (D-Maryvale) who represents Legislative District 24 and is running for re-election to the Senate. Also on the list are incumbents seeking reelection to the state House, including Reps. Mariana Sandoval, Brian Garcia and Lorena Austin. First-time House candidate Jacob Martinez, running for Legislative District 9, also made the list.
Bobby Nichols, an attorney and progressive first-timer vying for a seat on the Tempe City Council, was the only candidate endorsed at the city level. The Tempe run-off election is on May 19.
All six candidates are now listed on Sanders’ website with links to donate and learn more.
Sanders targets Trump — and his own party
In an interview with the New York Times, Sanders emphasized the importance of progressives gaining political power this year in the face of Trump’s “authoritarianism” and even the “Democratic establishment,” he said.
“Our effort is to lead a national movement against Trump’s authoritarianism and kleptocracy and unnecessary wars and his contempt for the Constitution,” Sanders said. “But equally important, the American people need an alternative to the Democratic establishment, which is significantly dominated by big-money interests.”
Sanders’ endorsements have proven influential, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), Greg Casar (D-Texas), and New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani. This new list skews younger and includes candidates recruited through his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which drew 15,000 people to a March 2025 rally at Arizona State University in Tempe.
In an Instagram video, Ortiz said she is proud to support Nichols for Tempe City Council and called herself in “good company” following Sanders’s endorsement.
“Bobby is exactly the kind of leader Tempe needs.”
