State Sen. Vincent Fort's bid for Atlanta mayor just got an extra dose of support from the Democratic Party's progressive wing.
The Working Families Party, a national progressive political advocacy group, endorsed Fort at the Netroots Nation gathering of liberal activists. And U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, whose insurgent presidential campaign energized the party's left, sent another fundraising volley for him.
Fort is among more than a dozen candidates vying to succeed a term-limited Kasim Reed, and polls show a tight contest for the No. 2 spot in a likely runoff against City Councilwoman Mary Norwood.
The Working Families Party has sought to build its ranks by picking sides in mayoral contests, and spokesman Joe Dinkin said Fort's "vision of transforming Atlanta for everyone rather than a handful of powerful interests" helped seal its endorsement.
The group said it would send out fundraising pleas to raise small-dollar donations and recruit volunteers for his campaign.
Sanders endorsed Fort in January, calling him a "powerful ally" in a fundraising plea. He sent a new dispatch over the weekend to Fort supporters urging them to pony up for Fort, who lags behind some of his rivals in the race for campaign cash.
"Vincent Fort doesn’t need to spend the most money to win this election, but he will not be successful if he is outspent 10 to 1 or more," read Sanders' email. "Our job is to close that financial gap and give him the resources to run a winning campaign."
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