Nevada & Arizona Tribal Leaders Chair Bernie Sanders’ State Campaign Efforts

Sen. Bernie Sanders  (Senate photo)

Published December 18, 2019

WASHINGTON — Following Sen. Sanders most recent trip to Nevada, Chairman Laurie Thom of the Yerington Paiute Tribe and Navajo former Arizona State Representative Wenona Benally Baldenegro endorsed Bernie Sanders for president, and announced they would serve as Chairs of his campaign efforts in their respective states.

“I am proud to endorse Bernie Sanders’ candidacy for president of the United States,” stated Yerington Paiute Tribe Chairman Laurie Thom. “Last weekend, I toured Nevada’s Anaconda Copper Mine with the woman I hope will be our next First Lady, Jane Sanders. For decades, the Anaconda mine has contaminated the groundwater of the Yerington Paiute Tribe. We are cautiously optimistic that the State’s actions regarding the Site are now heading in the right direction, but we will be watching closely. As Chairman, I know firsthand that environmental issues are also human-rights issues. Bernie Sanders knows this too. As president, he will invest in minority communities, who are disproportionately affected by pollution.”

Chairman Laurie Thom is the elected Chairman of the Yerington Paiute Tribe. She has been an environmentalist, victim’s advocate, police officer and is now a strong advocate for the rights of Native Americans.

“Climate change poses the greatest threat to the survival of Indigenous communities,” said Wenona Benally Baldenegro. “Senator Sanders has stood on the front lines with us in our fight to save our ancestral lands, our collective Mother Earth. This is why I am endorsing Senator Bernie Sanders for President. He understands what is at stake not only for our communities, but for all of humanity. I know that, as President, he will take bold steps to tackle this global crisis.”

Wenona Benally Baldenegro represented nine of Arizona’s twenty-two Indian tribes while serving as a former member of the Arizona State House of Representatives in District 7. She is an attorney who holds degrees from Harvard Law School and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is a member of the Navajo Nation.

These endorsements are the latest of several tribal leaders endorsing Sen. Sanders presidential campaign. They demonstrate his commitment to forming the most diverse coalition of support of any president in history and putting traditionally marginalized communities at the forefront of his vision for America.

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