Orange County Congressional Candidate Bao Nguyen Endorses Bernie Sanders

Last week Congresswoman Judy Chu announced she is backing Bao for Congress

Blue America endorsed Garden Grove Mayor Bao Nguyen last summer when he decided to run for the open Orange County CA-46 seat that Loretta Sanchez was giving up. Wow ironic would it be that a transitional district formerly represented by the most extreme right thug in the GOP, Bob Dornan, and then by a barely-Democratic Blue Dog, is now being contested by an unabashed progressive. Bao, who is trilingual and interned for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, holds a master’s degree in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, and has a certification in mediation from the Dispute Resolution Program of the Orange County Human Relations Commission, is a proud member of the LGBT community and one of the first public officials in Orange County to endorse Bernie Sanders' campaign.

His two top opponents in the congressional race, Sacramento politicians, Lou Correa (who has an anti-Choice and pro-pollution record in the state legislature) and Joe Dunn, are both significantly to the right of Nguyen. And both have major money-raising capacity because of their times in the state legislature. Bao needs grassroots support if he's going to be part of the effort to make Congress more progressive. You can contribute to his campaign here.

Bao made his endorsement of Bernie official yesterday as New Hampshire Democrats headed to the polls to elect a real FDR candidate-- and, pointedly, not elect a politics-as-usual conservative Democrat mired in Wall Street filth. "It’s going to take a political revolution in order to move the United States onto a path toward greater income equality, social justice, and universal access to higher education," Bao told his supporters and the local media. "Bernie Sanders has the progressive values and political courage that is needed to take on the status quo, and implement bold new policies that will make a real difference in the lives of middle class families. I am proud to announce my endorsement of Bernie Sanders for President, and I look forward to helping him take on the billionaire-class and shake up the balance of power in Washington."

Today Bao reminded us that although the 2 million smallest donors nationwide have contributed over $150 million so far during this election cycle, just 100 multimillionaires and billionaires have given $195 million so far to the Establishment candidates. Four of the top 6 billionaires who have given so far this year have been funneling millions of dollars into Ted Cruz SuperPACs. Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio aren't far behind. Like Bernie, Bao depends on small donors. And he's on an ActBlue page with Bernie and the congressional candidates who have endorsed Bernie. You can access it-- and I hope you will-- by tapping on the thermometer below. From what I can tell, Bao is likely to be the most progressive Member of Congress and will give Wisconsin's Mark Pocan a run for his money for that position in the new Congress-- along with Primila Jayapal (WA) and Zephyr Teachout (both of whom are also on that page. These are the candidates that represent the future of a progressive-- rather than a corporatist, conservative and corrupt-- Democratic Party. Bao:

Bernie and I are committed to political revolution: A revolution to provide universal access to free public college education; greater income equality; a recognition that we have to radically change the way we treat the environment and develop natural resources.

Like Bernie Sanders, I am passionately committed to social justice issues. Together, we will establish full and equal rights for women and LGBT people, comprehensive immigration reform, universal healthcare, and a minimum wage that guarantees our nation’s workers won’t live in poverty.

I’m committed to ending the power of the billionaire class.

My campaign, like Bernie’s campaign, is an insurgency. I’m up against two entrenched political players who are long time members of the political establishment. They have served the state well, but now it is time for a new generation of leadership. I’m a candidate for the future not for the status quo.

I am committed to working with Bernie Sanders to bring about a nation that recognizes the worth of all Americans, sees strength in compassion, and value in equality and justice.

You can contribute to Bao's campaign by clicking on the thermometer: