This archive report was first published on 19 October 2019.
On the eve of the 2020 US presidential election, Bernie Sanders' campaign received a significant boost with key endorsements from prominent figures in the Democratic Party.
At a rally in New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar threw their weight behind Sanders, 78, in a move that sent shockwaves through the primary race.
"There's been some degree of criticism overall — Bernie Sanders can't win because his movement is tapped out," Faiz Shakir, Sanders' campaign manager, said. "This discounted that."
The endorsements came at a crucial time for Sanders' campaign, which had been struggling to gain momentum in recent polls. Despite collecting $25.3 million between July and September, the most of any candidate in that period, Sanders' campaign had been facing a barrage of questions about his health.
However, the endorsements from Ocasio-Cortez and Omar are expected to inject fresh energy into the campaign, with Sanders' aides confident that the women will motivate young people, a group critical to his success in 2016.
