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With just a week to go until the Aug. 9 primary, Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed David Zuckerman for lieutenant governor.

In a statement the Zuckerman campaign emailed out Tuesday afternoon, Sanders said he is confident Zuckerman would be “an excellent lieutenant governor.”

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Zuckerman, a state senator and former member of the Vermont House, is one of three candidates in a close race for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.

Sanders said in his statement that he has known the Chittenden County farmer for almost a quarter-century.

“David is one of the outstanding members of the Legislature,” Sanders said. “He has helped lead the fight in Montpelier for livable wages, family supported agriculture, GMO labeling, sustainable energy, marriage equality, and other issues important to working families.”

“In the Vermont House and more recently in the Vermont Senate, David has earned a reputation as a fighter who is not afraid to stand up to the big money interests,” Sanders continued.

In an interview Tuesday, Zuckerman said he learned Sanders would back him just hours before the statement was emailed out.

Zuckerman said he does not know whether Sanders plans to use his extensive email network on his behalf. In May, an email from the Sanders campaign highlighting Rep. Chris Pearson, P-Burlington, in the Chittenden County race for state Senate resulted in a $60,000 boost for Pearson’s campaign.

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Zuckerman said Tuesday that he was a college student at the University of Vermont when he first became involved with Sanders. He described himself as “cynical about the electoral system” before he saw Sanders in action and helped him campaign for Congress.

“He inspired me then just as he inspires millions across the country now,” Zuckerman said.

Even without a mass email, Sanders’ endorsement could be a boon for Zuckerman in the tight race for the Democratic nod for lieutenant governor. Sanders won 86 percent of the vote in Vermont’s Democratic presidential primary in March.

Zuckerman hopes the endorsement will motivate his supporters to get to the polls. He faces Burlington Rep. Kesha Ram and House Speaker Shap Smith in the Democratic primary.

“We came so close to getting Bernie across the finish line,” Zuckerman said of Sanders’ bid for the presidential nomination.

“Hopefully this will boost turnout in my direction,” he said.

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