Bernie Sanders backs progressives Casar and Cisneros in their bids for San Antonio House seats

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has thrown endorsements to Democratic congressional candidates Greg Casar and Jessica Cisneros, both progressives running to represent districts that include San Antonio.

The endorsements come two days after the pair received an in-person push from U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, a Washington progressive whose star power almost matches that of Sanders, a two-time Democratic presidential candidate.

Austin city council member Casar is running to represent the open 35th District, which spans both downtown San Antonio and central Austin. Recent polling shows him ahead in the blue-leaning district.

Meanwhile, Cisneros, an immigration attorney, is looking unseat longtime incumbent Henry Cuellar in 28th District, which includes a portion of the Alamo City along with a wide swath of South Texas. Her run comes after a close 2020 bid to unseat Cuellar, who this time is saddled with a recent FBI raid on his home and office.

The endorsements are among the first from Sanders this election cycle. They come as early voting begins for the March 1 primary.

"Greg Casar is building a grassroots movement for real change from San Antonio to Austin," Sanders said in written statement. "As a former labor organizer, I know he’ll fight for working families in Congress."

Similarly, Sanders praised Cisneros as a champion of working-class Texans.

"Jessica knows that real change comes from the bottom on up, not the top on down," Sanders said in a statement. "She will fight for the working class in Congress and together we will build a movement to transform this nation so that it works for all our people."

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