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NBC: Sanders Declares Victory for Influencing Most Left-Wing Democratic Platform Ever

July 11, 2016

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) declared victory over the weekend for influencing the most left-leaning Democratic Party platform in its history, NBC reported Monday.

Sanders is set to endorse former Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on Tuesday in New Hampshire after he battled her for the party’s nomination. Clinton clinched the race last month, but Sanders did not end his candidacy, citing a desire to fight for his progressive views to reach the Democratic Party platform.

While Sanders backers failed to get the platform to reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement championed by President Obama, they won out on a $15 minimum wage tied to inflation, health care, and education reform.

"On Sunday, Sanders declared victory, writing, ‘We now have the most progressive platform in the history of the Democratic Party,’" NBC reporter Kristen Welker said on Today.

Welker called Sanders’ pending endorsement "a long-awaited win for Hillary Clinton." The two candidates waged a contentious campaign for the Democratic nomination, with Sanders at one point saying Clinton was not qualified for the presidency. Although Clinton was always the frontrunner, Sanders mounted a far stronger challenge than expected for a 74-year-old self-declared socialist.

Sanders supporters were disappointed about the platform not formally denouncing Israeli settlements in the West Bank or banning fracking, according to CNN.