Eric Garner's daughter endorses Bernie Sanders: He's black Americans' 'strongest ally'

Daughter of Eric Garner endorses Sanders.

(Image credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

published 29 January 2016

Erica Garner, the eldest daughter of Eric Garner, who died in 2014 after being put chokehold by police, endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for president in a column in The Washington Post Friday. "Black Americans — all Americans — need a leader with a record that speaks for itself," Garner wrote. "And to me, it's clear. Of all the presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders is our strongest ally."

Garner said that her interest in Sanders was first sparked last summer when Black Lives Matter activists interrupted one of Sanders' rallies in Seattle. "The optics were messy, but he heard us," Garner wrote. "He prioritized a racial justice platform. He spoke out, in speeches and debates, about Sandra Bland and declared that black lives do matter. He heard us, and I believe he'll continue to listen."