April McCullum

Free Press Staff Writer

U.S. Rep. Peter Welch says he'll support Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign as a voter and as a Democratic superdelegate.

The announcement Friday ended months of speculation over whether Welch would endorse Sanders, a fellow Vermonter, or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"I’m supporting Bernie because I think he can win, and I believe in what he stands for," Welch said in an interview after announcing his support on Vermont Public Radio.

Welch said he made his final decision Friday while preparing to drop off his absentee ballot for Vermont's March 1 presidential primary in the town of Norwich.

“Let’s give Bernie a shot," Welch said, noting that Sanders' economic policies and campaign finance reform goals have resonated with voters, especially young voters.

Sanders responded with gratitude.

"I very much appreciate Congressman Welch's support," Sanders said through a campaign spokesman. "We have been friends for years and have worked together on issues of great importance to Vermont. His support means a great deal to me."

Welch is Vermont's sole congressional representative. He won the seat after Sanders moved from the House of Representatives to the Senate in 2006.

The two men have spoken informally throughout Sanders' presidential bid, Welch said. They would often take the same airplane flights between Vermont and Washington, D.C., and sometimes share a cab ride. (That changed, Welch noted, when Sanders gained Secret Service protection earlier this year.)

Welch said neither Sanders nor Clinton directly asked for his endorsement.

He said Sanders has a real shot at winning the Democratic nomination and the general election, but not without difficulty.

“He’s set out on a goal of climbing Mount Everest without oxygen," Welch said. “He’s at the base camp. He’s got a long way to go.”

Welch said he has no plans to campaign for Sanders.

"I’ve noticed that Bernie seems to be doing pretty well on his own," Welch said.

Vermont's senior U.S. senator, Democrat Patrick Leahy, endorsed Clinton early in the presidential race.

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Other leading Vermont Democrats, such as Gov. Peter Shumlin and House Speaker Shap Smith, have also endorsed Clinton.

Welch expressed admiration for Clinton, whom he called "probably the most qualified candidate in my lifetime."

“But Bernie's pretty qualified, too," he added.

Welch said his overall goal was to make sure that a Democrat wins the White House in 2016.

Nationwide, Sanders is lagging behind Clinton in prominent endorsements.

Prior to Welch's endorsement, Sanders had landed support from just two members of Congress — Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona — according to the news site FiveThirtyEight.com.

Sanders' senior campaign strategist Tad Devine told USA TODAY in October that Sanders would focus on congressional endorsements after winning support from voters in New Hampshire and Iowa.

Sanders won last week's New Hampshire Democratic primary by a wide margin, and earlier in the month he nearly tied Clinton in the Iowa caucuses.

Success in early states, Devine said in October, would allow the Sanders campaign to solicit endorsements with a "strong hand."

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Contact April Burbank at 802-660-1863 or aburbank@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AprilBurbank