Calling it a “fresh glimpse into an emerging primary season divide on the progressive left,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren received an endorsement of her presidential bid from the Working Families Party on Monday, according to CNN.
The progressive grassroots political party had endorsed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during his run for president in 2016, according to Vox, but Warren received 60% of WFP’s vote this go-round. Sanders, meanwhile, received 35% of the vote.
WFP tweeted of the announcement, “We’re committed to helping Elizabeth Warren win — and to organizing in our communities and online to make sure that the issues that matter to working families remain at the center of this primary campaign.”
According to Vox, the endorsement is seen as a big win for Warren, whose campaign is expected to benefit greatly from WFP resources. The group has close ties with unions and labor groups, as well as other activists and organizations across the country.
Warren shared her reaction to news of the endorsement with a celebratory video on Twitter.
Meanwhile, the news is seen as a blow to Sanders, who said of WFP in 2016 that it was “the closest thing there is to a political party that believes in my vision of democratic socialism,” according to Vox.
CNN reported that Maurice Mitchell, national director of WFP, said in a statement that the Democratic party was “lucky” to have both Warren and Sanders in the presidential race.
Mitchell said, “Senator Warren and Senator Sanders have both shaped the ideological terrain on which this campaign is being waged. They have proven an effective team on debate stages and in the polls, and we hope that partnership continues. We’re proud to call both of them allies in the fight for a more just America.”