Rep. Keith Ellison Endorses Bernie Sanders
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Rep. Keith Ellison has endorsed Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders for the 2016 election.
"For decades, Bernie has demonstrated a willingness to push for progressive ideas that will help American families and restore balance to our economy, which has favored the millionaires and billionaires for way too long," Ellison said in a press statement. "Having stood with Bernie over the years on many different issues, including the Fight for $15, the effort to ban private prisons, and calling for the end of subsidies for Big Oil, I am proud to stand with him now."
Ellison is only the second member of Congress to publicly endorse Sanders, the first being Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona.
In recent polls, 33 percent of Democrats said would throw their support behind Hillary Clinton, compared to Vice President Joe Biden's 25 percent and Sanders' 24 percent.
Those familiar with Biden's deliberations tell CBS News that the he is leaning toward entering the race, but even if he decides to seek the Democratic nomination before the party's first debate on Oct. 13, those sources say he likely wouldn't participate in it.
They said he'd need time -- perhaps a couple of weeks -- to put together the foundations of a campaign and raise money.
