Bernie Sanders Endorses Jacquie Esser For Honolulu Prosecutor

Esser says the endorsement came as a surprise.

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Former U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders endorsed Hawaii public defender Jacquie Esser for Honolulu prosecutor on Twitter Thursday.

In a series of tweets endorsing candidates running for local offices around the country, Sanders said Esser has demanded “fair treatment and justice for Honolulu citizens of all backgrounds.”

Esser is one of six candidates vying to become the next prosecuting attorney for Honolulu in the upcoming election.

Her competitors are Steve Alm, a retired judge who is currently the frontrunner, according to a May 29 Civil Beat/Hawaii News Now poll, defense attorney and former prosecutor Megan Kau, Acting Honolulu Prosecutor Dwight Nadamoto, former prosecutor R.J. Brown and defense attorney Tae Kim.

Esser said on Twitter that she was thrilled about Sanders’ endorsement. She received the news while she was driving and had to pull over.

“Senator Sanders, a man who has dedicated his life and his career to fight for our most marginalized and overlooked people, a man who knows how destructive and racist our criminal justice system is, believes in my candidacy to bring transformative change to our criminal justice system here in Honolulu,” she said. “I’m so honored, Bernie, for your support.”

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