Dan Nowicki

The Republic | azcentral.com

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Tuesday picked up the support of Living United for Change in Arizona, a group whose aim is to organize the state's lower-income and minority families in the pursuit of "social and economic justice."

Sanders, a left-leaning independent U.S. senator from Vermont who won this month's New Hampshire primary, is trying to regain his momentum after a loss to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Saturday's Democratic caucuses in Nevada.

LUCHA officials were set to announce their endorsement Tuesday afternoon during a news conference at Sanders' Phoenix campaign headquarters.

The Sanders campaign described LUCHA as "the leading workers-rights organization in Arizona," citing the group's advocacy for "a fair and just" $15 minimum wage and for helping fast-food industry workers who want the right to unionize. LUCHA has more than 600 members, the campaign said.

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The Sanders endorsement was the first time LUCHA, which was established in 2009, has gotten behind a candidate, according to Jose Miranda, Sanders' Arizona state coordinator.

Sanders previously has announced a long list of endorsements from Arizona elected officials, including many Latinos, such as U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.

Arizona's presidential preference election is March 22.

Nowicki is The Arizona Republic's national political reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @dannowicki and on his official Facebook page.