Exclusive: Bernie Sanders eyes the left's next big upset
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Sen. Bernie Sanders at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 10. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is feeling emboldened by progressives' shock victory in a New Jersey special House primary last week — and sizing up his next targets.
Why it matters: The senator has endorsed over a dozen progressive House and Senate candidates who are aiming to reshape the Democratic Party.
- Asked in a phone interview where else he thinks the left can win upset victories, Sanders pointed to a "Fighting Oligarchy" rally he is doing on Friday with Nida Allam, who is challenging Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.).
- "That might be another area where progressives can win a strong victory," he said.
- Brad Lander, the former New York City comptroller challenging Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), also has "a strong chance to win," Sanders said.
Driving the news: Progressive Analilia Mejia prevailed in a special primary election last week to succeed now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
- She finished narrowly ahead of former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), who faced a $2.3 million ad barrage from AIPAC due to his support for conditioning aid to Israel.
- Mejia will have to win an April general election to get seated and then another primary in June to keep the seat for another two years, but New Jersey's Democratic establishment is now beginning to coalesce around her.
What they're saying: Mejia "ran on a strong progressive agenda and said she's going to stand up to the oligarchs, stand up to ... Trumpism," Sanders told Axios, comparing her to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
- "She got heavily outspent, I think got shot outspent 4-to-1," Sanders boasted, also pointing to the fact that one election-focused outlet had to retract its election night projection that Malinowski would win.
- The voters of her district, he said, were "motivated by the need to elect candidates who are not only Democrats, but candidates who are going to take on ... the oligarchs and fight for a government that works for working families."
Zoom out: Aside from Allam, Lander and Mejia, Sanders has endorsed House candidates Rebecca Cooke in Wisconsin, Donavan McKinney in Michigan, Robert Peters in Illinois, Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, Randy Villegas in California, Nate Blouin in Utah and Sam Forstag in Montana.
- He is also backing Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Graham Platner in Maine and Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota, as well as Maine gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson.
