WASHINGTON — Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore will endorse Donna Edwards' campaign for the U.S. Senate in Maryland, two sources familiar with the endorsement told BuzzFeed News.
The Edwards campaign confirmed the announcement Wednesday, but the campaign plans to make it official Thursday morning.
The announcement of Edwards' first endorsement from a member of the Congressional Black Caucus is set to come during the CBC Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference, dealing this year primarily with racial and income inequality, criminal justice, and policing.
Each year at the ALC, Moore hosts a panel titled "Not For Sistas Only" on the need for more women of color to be involved in national politics.
"I know when Donna steps into the halls of the United States Senate, she'll continue the fight to make sure women receive equal pay for equal work and that we protect the victims of domestic abuse, not the aggressors," Moore said in a statement.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the favorite in the race, has out-raised Edwards 3-to-1 and enjoys wide support among a large swath of Maryland's Democratic political establishment.
When EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock mentioned Edwards' candidacy on Wednesday at an ALC at a panel about the representation of women in the media and politics, she drew enthusiastic applause.
Lamenting the fact that there has only been one black woman senator, Schriock said it was important that a black woman who is also a single mother reach the office. "We absolutely believe that that would make this country a better place," she said.