Hartford, Ct. – Gov. Dan Malloy, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, and Connecticut Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto released the following statements on Sen. Bernie Sanders’s endorsement of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race.

“Senator Sanders ran an outstanding campaign,” said Governor Malloy. “He and his passionate supporters brought critically important issues – from raising the standard of living for working Americans, to ensuring every student has the opportunity to attend college without taking on mountains of debt – to the forefront, and I am proud that we adopted many of those issues in the Democratic Party platform. He also brought millions of new voters – particularly young people – into our party. They will be a critical part of the Democratic coalition this fall. At the end of the day, I believe that Hillary Clinton has the skill and experience to bring people together in these trying times. As Donald Trump attempts to divide people, Secretary Clinton understands that we as a society are stronger together, and my support for her candidacy is stronger than ever.”

“There has never been a candidate better prepared for the presidency than Hillary Clinton,” said Lt. Governor Wyman. “Despite the Republicans’ relentless attempts to tear her down, Secretary Clinton continues to put forward a positive vision to move this country forward and bring people together. I am thrilled to see Bernie Sanders’s endorsement. His lifetime commitment to progressive causes and his campaign for a fairer, more equal society has undoubtedly made our country and our party stronger, and his longstanding commitment to veterans’ issues has helped to improve treatment of those who served our country. I thank Senator Sanders for taking this important step to unify the Democratic Party.”

“This is a huge step forward for our party,” said Chairman Balletto. “Senator Sanders rightly recognizes that the best way to move our country forward – and to accomplish many of the goals Senator Sanders outlined during his campaign – is for Democrats to unite behind Secretary Clinton. On the other side, Donald Trump is the most dangerous presidential nominee of our lifetimes. His campaign is based on racism and division. A Trump presidency would do irreparable harm to our relationships around the globe and throw our economy into a prolonged recession. We simply cannot afford Donald Trump.”