The national co-chair for Sen. Bernard Sanders’ presidential campaign penned a scathing op-ed Sunday accusing former Vice President Joseph R. Biden of “repeatedly” betraying black Americans.
Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator, who is black, declared that “Joe Biden has repeatedly let us down” in a new piece for The State newspaper in the early voting state of South Carolina. She cited issues such as Mr. Biden’s past positions on crime, welfare reform, school integration, Social Security and his treatment of Anita Hill as reasons for black voters to support Mr. Sanders.
“Will our community side with former Vice President Joe Biden, who has repeatedly betrayed black voters to side with Republican lawmakers and undermine our progress?” she asked. “Or will we stand with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and a movement that has been fighting for racial and economic justice since the civil rights era?”
Ms. Turner also cited Mr. Sanders’ current positions on marijuana legalization, “Medicare for All” and tuition-free college as reasons for black Americans to vote for him.
“By supporting a racial justice champion like Sanders — and his popular progressive agenda — black Americans will forge a multiracial, multigenerational working-class alliance that will generate the high turnout necessary to beat President Donald Trump,” she wrote. “In standing with Sanders over Biden, we will declare that we are not going backward — we are going forward into a future of empowerment and equality for all.”
Ms. Turner’s op-ed comes just three weeks before the Iowa caucuses, where Mr. Biden is leading Mr. Sanders by 9 percentage points, according to Real Clear Politics’ compilation of polls.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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