U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is from Vermont, but his political reach in 2026 extends thousands of miles west to Arizona, where he has endorsed a group of Democratic candidates for state and local office.
Sanders has endorsed 61 progressive candidates nationwide this year, including five Arizona candidates: Mariana Sandoval, Brian Garcia, Lorena Austin, Jacob Martinez, and Analise Ortiz. Sanders’ campaign describes the slate as part of a broader effort to build a progressive political movement.
The endorsements are notable not merely because of Sanders’ national profile, but because Sanders openly identifies with democratic socialism. His endorsement of candidates thousands of miles from Vermont also comes as the word “socialism” has become considerably less taboo inside the Democratic Party. Gallup reported in 2025 that 66% of Democrats viewed socialism favorably, compared with 42% who viewed capitalism favorably.
That represents a striking change from the political language of earlier generations, when Republicans routinely accused Democrats of being soft on communism or sympathetic to socialism and Democrats generally rejected the characterization. Today, Democratic candidates in Arizona are publicly highlighting an endorsement from one of America’s best-known democratic socialists.
The Sanders endorsements are particularly conspicuous in competitive districts.
In LD23, Sandoval is seeking reelection in a district where Republican Michele Peña also holds a House seat. In 2024, Peña finished first with 37,967 votes, while Sandoval finished second with 37,375 — a difference of just 592 votes. Sandoval’s campaign prominently lists Sanders among her 2026 endorsements.
LD9 provides another example. Austin and Martinez are both campaigning with Sanders’ endorsement in a district that has been among Arizona’s most competitive legislative battlegrounds. In 2024, Austin led the four-candidate House field while fellow Democrat Seth Blattman won the second seat by just 928 votes over Republican Kylie Barber.
“The interesting thing is that most candidates run to the middle and campaign as moderates in these competitive districts,” said one Arizona-based politico, “but you can’t brag about a Bernie Sanders endorsement and claim to also be a moderate. This is Martinez and other Democrats wanting voters to know that they are unapologetically socialist. Voters are officially warned.”
For Democrats, the calculation may be straightforward: economic frustrations and opposition to President Donald Trump could create an opening with voters. But rejecting Trump and embracing socialism are not necessarily the same thing.
Whether Arizona voters see Sanders’ socialist platform as an asset, a liability, or simply another factor in their decision will be determined at the ballot box in November.
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