Advertisement Progressive leaders Cushing, Messmer to co-chair Sanders’ presidential campaign in NH Environmental, anti-death penalty activists cite Vermont senator’s ‘authenticity,’ leadership on key issues Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Two of New Hampshire’s most well-recognized progressive activists are on board with Sen. Bernie Sanders and have been tapped to co-chair his campaign in the first-in-the-nation primary state.>> Download the FREE WMUR appWMUR has learned that state Rep. Renny Cushing of Hampton, who was a member of the Sanders 2016 Granite State campaign steering committee, is endorsing Sanders again in the Vermonter’s current run for the White House.WMUR has also learned that Cushing will co-chair the state campaign with former state Rep. Mindi Messmer of Rye, a 2018 U.S. House congressional candidate and current Executive Council candidate. Messmer announced her endorsement of Sanders during a rally last week at the University of New Hampshire.Cushing, now serving his seventh term in the New Hampshire House, has been the state’s leading advocate for the abolition of capital punishment. The death penalty repeal became law this year after a decade-long effort.Cushing has also long been an environmental activist, dating back to his leadership in organizing of major protests of the construction of the Seabrook nuclear power plant in the 1970s. Cushing, in announcing his second endorsement of Sanders, called the senator “honest, consistent and authentic.” “He has led the fight to improve wages for working people, end the corrupting influence of big money in politics and take bold action to stop climate change. As a longtime human rights activist, I am also proud to endorse a candidate who has been a lifelong opponent of capital punishment,” Cushing said. Although Cushing endorsed Sanders in 2016, he said in an interview that his new endorsement was not automatic.“I had the opportunity to listen to all of the candidates, and they’re great, but at the end of the day it came down to respecting Bernie and the work he’s done for three decades,” Cushing said in an interview.“He’s always been with working people, he’s been strong supporter of the labor movement and criminal justice reform and has been against the death penalty and a stalwart on human rights. And nobody is talking more about health care longer and with more vision.”Messmer, an environmental consultant and activist, has been a leader on clean drinking water initiatives on the Seacoast. She said Sanders is the leading candidate on addressing climate change.“To me, climate change is the biggest issue and Bernie has the most comprehensive plan of any of the candidates on climate change and environmental justice,” Messmer said in an interview.And even more broadly, she said, “He has really shaped a lot of the conversation we’re hearing from the other candidates right now. His 2016 campaign created a focus for much of the conversation we’re having now.”Messmer added in a statement, “On Jan. 21, 2021, we will only have nine years to rein in fossil fuel carbon emissions. We need a president who will treat climate change as the existential threat and crisis that it is. That president is Bernie Sanders.”Sanders easily won the two-way New Hampshire Democratic primary over Hillary Clinton in 2016 but has struggled in his effort to move into a position among the front-runners in the current crowded field.A Saint Anselm College poll last week showed him as the choice of 11 percent of the likely voters in next year’s New Hampshire Democratic primary, trailing Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who was supported by 25 percent of those polled, and former Vice President Joe Biden, who was backed by 24 percent.Sanders recently made changes at the top of his New Hampshire campaign, bringing in a new state director and parting ways with a longtime adviser. And he is now recovering following several days of being hospitalized for a cardiac procedure and is expected to participate in the 12-person Democratic National Committee debate on Oct. 15.“I’m not a fan of polling," Messmer said. "I look at them with a grain of salt. What I look at closely is the number of individual donors and the average donation rate, and how much money the candidates are raising. That’s much more telling with respect to support.”Messmer said that Sanders’ announcement last week that he now has more than 1.4 million individual donors is impressive. In the third quarter, Sanders led in overall fundraising with $25.3 million, with the average donation totaling $18.The path forward for Sanders, Messmer said, is “continuing to get the message out through grassroots outreach and to build on his strong message.”“He’s got a solid base,” Cushing said. “People are looking at all the candidates so it’s taking some a longer time to decide. When people take a look at Bernie and then look at other candidates and then look at Bernie again, they will see the policies he’s been advocating for represent the core values of the Democratic Party.”Cushing said the Sanders’ health issue will not be a factor.“He’s sharp and alert and he’s wicked smart and a wicked fighter. And he’s solid and he’s steady.”“This campaign is both living our values and fighting for a better future,” Shannon Jackson, New Hampshire state director, said in a statement. “As we kick our campaign into high gear, we are honored to have Reps. Cushing and Messmer join us as co-chairs. "With their leadership, and the support of our steering committee, endorsers and volunteers, I am confident we are in a strong position to win in New Hampshire on Feb. 11.”