In another victory for Sen. Bernie Sanders, who on Thursday picked up the endorsement of the huge Communications Workers of America union, won the backing of the progressive group Democracy for America.

More than 87 percent of the group voted over nine days to endorse the Vermont senator over Hillary Clinton and Martin O'Malley. Clinton won 10 percent, O'Malley, the former Maryland governor, 1 percent.



The group said that Sanders won 271,527 votes.

"This endorsement is a critical component of our path to victory," said Jeff Weaver, the Sanders campaign manager.

It is the first-ever endorsement by the group, which is typically more divided over candidates. DFA requires a supermajority 66 percent votes to endorse.

The group has featured Sanders on conference calls and generally lines up behind his economic agenda. They had earlier teamed with MoveOn.org to push Sen. Elizabeth Warren into the race.

Charles Chamberlain, DFA executive director, said, "Bernie Sanders is an unyielding populist progressive who decisively won Democracy for America members' first presidential primary endorsement because of his lifelong commitment to taking on income inequality and the wealthy and powerful interests who are responsible for it.

"Throughout his campaign, Bernie has repeatedly said that the huge problems of income inequality, money in politics, and structural racism that our country must confront are bigger than a single campaign -- they need a political revolution. With today's endorsement, DFA members are joining Bernie's 'political revolution' and working to take it both to the White House and up-and-down the ballot, in races cost to cost."

DFA matters. Since 2004, it raised and contributed more than $32 million to help elect progressives.

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.